Breakaway
by RMTNDEW
Summary: You're the President's daughter, you're a mutant, you run away and get picked up by a guy named Logan. Can life get anymore complicated? Only if you have to dodge a search party, have to convince people you aren't who you are and you start to fall in love
1. The Great Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the Marvel characters or the song 'Breakaway' I simply use them for my own enjoyment and do hopethat no one minds.

Quick Rundown: This chapter takes place two days before Nightcrawlers attack on the President and then about a week and a half after. It does all have its place in the fic and this chapter brings you up on what's going on and gives you another character's point of view of those days during the X2 setting. I hope you enjoy!

Breakaway

'Dear Mom and Dad,

Please don't worry about me; I'm okay. Nothing has happened to me. I just had to leave. I wish that I could tell you why, but it's far too complicated and I don't want you to be disappointed in me, I've never wanted you to be.

Mom;

I'll be careful and promise not to hitchhike with any strangers; I've seen all of those Lifetime movies, too.

I have plenty of money with me so you don't have to worry about me begging people for anything; I know you're working hard on stopping people from having to do that.

I look up to you for all of your decisions and that's why I made mine to leave. Even though it's killing me to leave you, I know it'll only hurt you both worse if I stay. Just know that I love you and I always have.

Dad;

You mean the world to me and I think that you're doing a fantastic job with the country; it has to be hard to be the President. I've always thought of you as my real father and a great person and I know that the nation is lucky to be able to see that in you.

I want you to know that I've seen what you and mom have given up for me other these past few years, but most importantly; allowing me to stay in school in Arizona. We're so many miles away from each other and I've always appreciated you both flying in when you've gotten the chance.

I want you both to understand that you did nothing to make me leave; I made the decision on my own. The truth is that you really have given me so much and this is the only way I know how to, somewhat, repay you; make your job a little easier.

Please don't send of the FBI, CIA or secret service. As much as I love Carls and Burkley this doesn't need to involve them. In addition, know that they had no hand in what I did; they didn't help me at all. I take full responsibility for my actions and I know that what I do with cause a lot of problems, but I'm truly trying to help you avoid the much bigger problem. So please, no news reports, no rewards, no searches and for goodness sake, if you do put my face on a milk carton, don't use my ninth grade photo from the high school yearbook, I hate that picture.

I just want you both to know that I highly respect both of you and I do appreciate all of the sacrifices that you've made for me. I love you, miss you, and always keep you in my prayers.

Love Always,

Holly'

I sighed as I ran my fingers through my long blonde hair. I was really going to do it. I was going to runaway. I had made up my mind about what I was going to do two and a half months before; I had overheard a meet my father was having with some of the senators in his office. It had only taken me two weeks to make out the full plan; I would go to the Eastcost Garden Club for the Vice President's daughter's birthday party, where I would slip into the bathroom and from there I would make a run for it. I would slip out un-noticed and make my way across the boarder. After I was gone I was going to dye my hair and cut it off. I would change my wardrobe and fake a British accent. Because I usually lived in Arizona instead of D.C. with my parents, I didn't have a high profile in the media and I was hoping that the people from Canada wouldn't know who I was. I took a deep breath and knew it was 'now or never'. So I went for it, concentrating on my powers.

My name is Holly and I'm a mutant. That's why I was running away; my father, who wasn't my real father but had adopted me when I was five, was the President of the United States of America. I had overheard him talking about re-introducing the Mutant Registration Law and I saw no other option but to run. I couldn't tell just them about me, I never had, but at that time, there were men in suites with earpieces always listening in to everything we said to each other. If I told them about me then there was a possibility of a media leak (Who wouldn't give big money to be the first to report that?) and if that happened then there was also a chance of father being taken from his position because of me. Being a mutant was one of the worst things in society and I wouldn't ruin his career just because of who I was. He had worked too hard for his job just to have it all thrown down the tubes.

I stuck my hand in front of my face just to make sure it had worked; I couldn't see it. I looked down; nothing, I was invisible.

I slowly opened the stall door; even though I had waited until I was fairly sure everyone was gone, I wanted to be careful, just in case. I checked myself out in the mirror to make sure everything was gone. Then I waited. Someone else had to enter the bathroom before I could leave, opening the door so that I could sneak out. It was only a matter of minutes before a group of girls all came in together.

"Did you _see_ what Holly was wearing? I mean, come on, that's been out of style for like, six months now." Senator Jordon's oldest daughter said after checking the stalls to make sure I wasn't there. Although I wanted to stay and listen to them insulting my outfit, which was _not_ out of style by the way, I had to make my run for it. As the last girl filed into the bathroom, I slide through the door, as quietly as I could. The next part was the hardest; I had to get past all of the guests and guards without being heard or bumped into. I silently leaned up against a wall and took off my high heels, holding them tightly with one hand I carefully made my way around the dance floor with success. I spotted Carls and Burkley waiting a few feet from the bathroom and almost blew my cover from laughing after thinking that they would be standing there all night for me to come out, which I never would. I promised myself that I could laugh later if I ever got out of that place. I slowly and cautiously made my way through the rest of the room and found the two doors that led to the outside. The only thing that stood between my freedom and me; Sven, he was Vice President's daughter's bodyguard that always hit on me. I stood on my tiptoes and carefully crept out the door, not making a sound. It wasn't my first time sneaking out from under Carls and Burkley's watch, I had done it a few times as practice runs, that how I knew to take off my shoes. I kept creeping until I was around three hundred yards away, from there I put my shoes back on. I did have some problems, though. Because I was wearing my shoes what I made myself invisible they too were invisible. So one could see how I would naturally have a problem with not knowing which one was left and which one was right and it would be completely understandable that it took my nearly ten minutes to get them straightened out. I saw it as a bad sign that everything from that point on was going to be hard. But once I got them on, I walked. I walked to the train station where I took a train up to New York. If you could call it 'taking a train', I stashed away in the luggage compartment until the ride was over. From there is where my life as a criminal took its turn; I stole a box of hair dye, soap, shampoo and conditioner, scissors, a box of safety pins, five pairs of fishnet stockings and as much makeup as I could fit into my bag. I felt bad about it but I didn't know what else to do. Besides, no one saw me taking it so all they would know is that some items had gone missing. After that, I went back to the hotel I was staying at. Five or six rooms on the top floor that were being refurnished and I took one that I thought would be the last one they would fix.

I took down my hair from it's lose ponytail, "You're insane," I said to myself as I began cutting my hair. It didn't need to be professional, just different. However, my aunt was a hairstylist so I _did_ know a thing or two about what I was doing. After that, I dyed it. Then I took the scissors to most of my clothes. I cut skirts that had originally been down to my knee up to my thigh. I chopped sleeves off and necklines out of tops. I converted a pair of the fishnet stockings into arm warmers and kept the rest to wear as they were. As I cut the length of one of my favorite dresses nearly in half it really hit me what I was doing; I was changing everything about me so that I wouldn't have to compromise myself to hurt someone's job. The weight of it hit me and I began to cry. I was never going to be able to see my family again, I would never be able to step foot in my house, whether it was the white one or my real one in Arizona, ever again. I was never going to be Holly again; I was going to be Jewel for the rest of my life. I had to make up my life, I was always going to be on the run, no matter if I decided that I wanted to settle down somewhere I wouldn't have the luxury. Everything from that point on was going to have to be one lie after another, after another until one day I wouldn't forget what my life really was like and began to create a new one. But the thought of knowing that I could never legally be married or own anything of my own, or even drive plagued my thoughts, only adding to my violent sobs. As I cried myself to sleep that night, I wondered if my parents had found the note that I had left them in my room at the White House. By the next morning, I knew

I took time applying my makeup, careful to make myself look as little like me as possible. I studied myself in the mirror; my hair that was once dirty blonde was a dark chocolate, almost black, brown color. I had cut it just about my shoulders, even thought it had once been down my back. It was short with piecey layers and side swept bangs. My eye shadow nearly echoed the color of my hair as I lined them with a dark black pencil and smudged it. My skin looked the palest it ever has as it contrasted with the darkness of my hair and eyes. My outfit was something my mother wouldn't let me wear even to a costume party. I had on a black top that I had cut the neckline out of, making it a V-neck. I had attached the arm warmers I had made to the sleeves with the safety pins and held the other ends down with the finger holes I had made. I was also wearing a black skirt that I had gotten to wear to a Christmas party for the previous year at the White House. Although it had originally been past my knees after I cut it, it sat just above them. I wore a pair of the fishnets, which ended up with a few more holes that they had started with, with a pair of black knee high boots. I was no longer Holly I was Jewel Bryson. I had taken my middle name and put it with my last name before my dad had adopted me. I figured, and hoped, that no one would notice. I was scared to be on my own, it was terrifying to think that I had to depend on myself for everything. Even though I was in college in Arizona while my parents were on the other side of the country I was always had Carls and Burkely with me. I couldn't believe that I actually missed them.

I gathered all of my things and threw it all into a large bag, which I slung across my shoulder. I had a few outfits, shoes, half of my money and a few other things in it, so it wasn't that heavy. The other half of my money I had split once again and put one half in my purse and the other in my boot, just in case.

As I stepped outside, I pulled on a pair of sunglasses, fully assuming that I wouldn't be noticed. I was walking down the street, heading in the direction of the nearest train station when I saw a group of people gathered around a display window. Curious to see what they were looking at I joined them, pushing my way to one of the TVs that was on display. That's when I saw it; my high-school yearbook photo from ninth grade flash across the screen with a contact number under it. I could deal with the media attention of a search party, I expected it from them, but when I had asked them specifically _not_ to use that phone and they did anyway, _that_ I was upset about. Nevertheless, I was proud of my handy work and didn't think anyone would know me. I watched the TV a little longer before it showed my mom and dad talking, my mother was crying.

"Our daughter has gone missing, she means the world to us, so if you have any information about her or her whereabouts please call the number at the bottom of the screen and you will be rewarded accordingly. We just want her back and if you're listening; we love you Holly, please come back home."

It killed me and I wanted to cry but I knew I couldn't, not right then.

"Do you think she was kidnapped?" An older woman asked the man beside her.

"Who know?" he replied.

"I thought he was supposed to help stop abduction, now his daughter's missing?" Another woman said.

"It's probably just a publicity stunt; trying to prove that he's still like the little man and that he relates to us," A third woman chimed in.

"She probably ran away, wouldn't you if he was your father? I'm just glad I didn't vote for him," another man said, lighting a cigarette.

I wanted to stop them and explain to them what was really going on. I could barely stand to heard them say things about my dad that way. However, I was afraid I would blow my cover, so I kept moving. By the time I had reached the train station I had passed five other TV displays showing the news bulletin. I would stop and listen to the people talk and watch my parents for a few minutes before continuing. I had heard quite a few theories within the thirty or so minutes that it had taken me to get to the train, where I bought a ticket and sat in the very back, dodging glances of disapproval of my apparel. Apparently, the number one theory was that another country had kidnapped me, the number two theory; my father wanted publicity. Others thought that I had possibly been killed and left somewhere, or that the whole thing was blown of proportion and that I had just gone back to Arizona without telling anyone. Some had even said that aliens abducted me, though as odd as it was, running away was the least considered theory.

I was tired but I was afraid to sleep on the train, I didn't want someone to sneak up on me, I needed to be fully awake. During the ride it started to get a little cold and I was suddenly re-thinking my decision of chopping all of my clothes up. I rummaged through my bag until I found my full length, black duster and slipped it on. I sat back down and wrapped it around me, trying to keep myself warm. I pulled the hood up around my head, curled up against the window and began to cry. I reached to wipe away the tears from my eyes when I realized that I couldn't see me hand. I had some problems with my powers, when I would get emotional things would often disappear on their own. Most of the time it was just a hand, but feet had disappeared before, too. I tucked my hand inside my coat and with my empty right hand; I dug through my bag and pulled out a glove, slipping it over my hand so that it was visible. I stuck the other glove inside my coat pocked just in case I needed it. The ride seemed to take forever, leaving me with plenty of time to think I was completely insane and rethink what I was doing. I cried; for my parents, for my family, for my friends, for the nation that was searching for someone that would never find and for me.

"Sweeties, are you all right?" I heard from beside me as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see a middle-aged woman with gray hair standing beside me.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," I lied, using an English accent. I forced a small smile and wiped the tears from my eyes using my gloved hand.

"Are you sure? I don't mean to sound as if I'm snooping but you've been crying the whole ride so far,"

I searched her eyes, looking for something telling me not to trust her, but I couldn't find anything. "I miss my family," I finally admitted.

"Are you here all by yourself?" she asked, sitting in the seat across from me.

"Yeah,"

"Oh dear, you must not be feeling too safe, what with the news of the President's daughter Holly being missing and everything and then you're here all by yourself," she said with a sympathetic smile. "You know, you look like her, the President's daughter,"

I laughed and smiled, both were genuine. "I've heard that a few times," I said, the English accent becoming more natural to me.

"Although I think you may be prettier,"

"Thank you," I smiled. I pushed my hood off and slowly pulled off my glove, making sure that my hand was visible. When I knew it was I slipped the glove inside me coat along with its mate.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" she asked.

"I uh…came to…help out a friend of mine,"

"Do they know you're coming?"

"Yeah," I nodded. I was having a very hard time answering 'Yeah' instead of 'Yes ma'am'.

"Do you have a job here?" She asked, very casually looking over my outfit.

"No, not yet,"

"Well, you're beautiful and seem bright so I don't think you should have a problem getting a real _good_ job." She thought I was a prostitute.

"I know and first thing I'm getting new clothes, this is what you get when you try to blend in by wearing clothes from music videos. They really should warn us that Americans don't dress like this," I lied again with a small laugh. I was getting good at making up stories from the top of my head. I watched as she sighed and smiled at me, glad that there was a reason for my outfit.

"What part of England are you from?" she asked.

"Great Yermoth,"

"Oh, I've never heard of it before, is it big?"

"Not too terribly, it's by the ocean, so it's quite lovely."

"Is this the first time you've ever been to the United States?"

"Yeah and I'm actually not staying very long, I'm heading up to Canada."

"Is that were your friend lives?"

"Yeah,"

Once I had someone to talk to the train ride didn't seem that long and before I knew it we had stopped. And by that time, Rose, the woman I was talking to, had heard all about my 'father' who worked as a carpenter for a small business that he and my 'mother' owned. How I was going to open my own photo shop once I got back home, about my 'grandmother' who had fallen ill and I had to take a year off from university to help take care of her. I suddenly understood how someone could be a compulsive liar; it seemed much easier just to make stuff up that to tell someone about your real life. It was also much more interesting and by the time I was getting off the train, I had almost forgotten that English was _not_ my natural accent.

"Goodbye Jewel, I hope you have a good time here, just be careful!" Rosa said as I stepped off the train.

"I will and thank you. I hope your husband feels better soon!" I called back to her. She gave me a weak smile and waved as I walked off. It was dark and I wasn't sure where I was supposed to be going. I knew I needed to head north but I wasn't sure how to get there. I decided to find a hotel and sleep for the night, in a proper bed with pillows and not have to worry about whether or not I would get caught in the room. After asking the woman at the ticket booth where the nearest hotel was I began a three-mile walk in boots to find it. I was afraid to be seen walking in my outfit, at that time of night, or the side of a New York highway, so I decided to stay invisible. As I was reaching the two-mile mark, it began to rain. I pulled up my hood and cinched my coat together with the rope tie. Once I found the hotel, I snuck around back to make sure I look all right. I checked my hair, outfit and fixed my makeup that had run from all of my crying. After everything was fixed, I walked inside and up to the front desk.

"How may I help you?" The woman there asked, looking disgusted by me.

"I need a room,"

"I'm sorry but we don't rent them by the hour," she smirked.

"I beg your pardon?" There were few times when I was tempted to through out the 'Don't you know who my father is?' line, but that was one of them. "If all of the rooms in this crappy hotel are taken, which I seriously doubt, then that's fine. But if not then I want a single." I smirked back.

After calling out the manager, we settled our altercation and I ended up getting my next night free. I got up to my room and made a beeline for the shower. All I wanted was to take a hot shower, order a pizza and sleep. I pulled my boots off to reveal blisters on both of my feet. I promised myself that I would buy shoes that were more practical the next day. I turned on the water, allowing it to heat up, before finally climbing in, my feet killing me. There was a small seat type thing and I sat, letting the hot water pour over me. I saw the water run black in the shower after I held up my face to wash off my makeup. After about thirty minutes, I finally forced myself out and wrapped up on one of the big robes hanging in the bathroom. I combed through my hair with my fingers and dried it with a towel. As soon as I changed into my pajamas, I called for a pizza. I barely finished eating before I fell asleep. I woke up the next day at around noon. I decided to turn on the TV and see if they were still looking for me as frantically. I turned it over to the news and sure enough, there was coverage of the White House. But the headline was different.

"Two days after his daughter Holly is miss the President is attacked in the Oval office. Although there are no leads behind either act, authorities are led to believe that the same person, or persons, is behind both. Stay turned for more updates as we receive them throughout the day," the woman on TV reported.

What had happened? Was he okay? What about my mom, had she been attacked too? Was it my fault? Had my running away caused some mad man to attack my own father? How had they gotten into the Oval Office without anyone knowing? I could barely get in there with all of the security, how had they gotten in? I didn't go out shopping that day; I stayed in my hotel room watching the news, flipping between channels during the commercials to make sure I was hearing everything. It was past two in the morning before I finally went to sleep. The next day the new wasn't as bad; my father reported on TV saying that he and my mom were fine but the real task was to find me. I was relieved knowing that he was okay, so I decided to go and buy clothes that _didn't_ make me look like a hooker. While I was shopping in a fairly rundown mall, I spotted another display of TVs in a Radioshack window. I decided just to check it out to get an update to see what was going on. Almost all of the TVs were playing the same station, which was repeating everything that I had already heard, except for a small one in the bottom off the left hand corner. I stepped away from the others to see what it was playing. There was a newscaster sitting in the newsroom speaking; "There was an attack on a small family in Boston today, only a few hours ago. It seems that there were three to four mutants involved. After one of the family members called to report that they were being held captive in their house by the mutants police were sent straight to the site. Once there a mutant, involving fire, attacked the police. Although none of the injuries was fatal, six officers were sent to the hospital. After the police became conscious on the sire they said that the mutants were gone and left no trace of their whereabouts."

My heart began racing and pounding. What is the person who had attacked my father was part of them? What is his attacker was another mutant? I prayed that he wasn't because I knew what that would mean for the rest of us; the registration law would come into place, or we could all be put into temporary lock down and have tracking devices attached to us all. Our freedom would be gone. I went on with the rest of my shopping and got everything that I needed before leaving the country. I would stay one more night at the hotel, because it was free, but the next day I had to set my plan back up and sneak a ride across the boarder. It was somewhat exciting to but new clothes. I was so used to wearing tweed, neutrals, high heels, pearls and anything 'lady like' that it was actually a lot of fun to buy stuff I would never have usually wore. My first goal; walking shoes, I had done more walking that I had planned on and knew that an expensive pair of running shoes would probably end up paying off within the next week or so. I bought three pairs of blue jeans, quite a few T-shirts and long sleeved shirts, some sweaters, scarves and a couple of zip up hooded jackets. My plan had not worked out perfectly so far and I was a little upset that I had to dip into my money that was supposed to be for food and hotel rooms until I could find a place to live and hopefully a job. I had started out with a thousand dollars but had ended up spending around two hundred of it by that day. After shopping, I caught a cab back to the hotel. I ate some of my left over pizza and un-packed and re-packed my bag with my new clothes. I changed my outfit and felt much more comfortable than before. Piling my old clothes into a bag, I headed out behind the hotel to throw them away.

"Hey, you got a light?" a scraggily woman asked me.

"No, I'm sorry," I said, remembering my accent.

"What'cha got in the bag?" the woman asked as I lifted the lid of the garbage bin.

"Old clothes," I said, pausing, "do you want them?" My mother had worked to help people off the streets and I thought that she would be proud of me for trying to be helpful.

"Yeah, if you're just gonna' throw them out,"

"They're of no use to me anymore," I said, handing her the bag.

She opened it up and dug through the contents. "Thank you," she said with a smile, revealing her missing front teeth.

"No problem, I hope you can get some use out of them," I said, turning to leave.

"Wait, how can I pay you back?"

"I'm sorry?"

"This is really nice stuff, how can I pay you for it?

"There's no need to," I said as I faced her once more.

"No, here, take this," she said, pulling something from her coat pocked and holding out her hand. I slowly stretched out my hand to hers, wiry of what she was handing me. Once my hand was underneath hers she dropped a necklace into my outstretched palm. "This is my rosary, it's not worth much but it will keep you safe."

I accepted it and held it tightly in my hand. "Then this is how you can repay me, I need all the safety I can get."

"This world is crazy, not us, remember that,"

"I will, thank you," I smiled, walking away.

I wasn't raised Catholic but the meaning of the rosary was all I needed. It would always remind me of good things, no matter where I was meant to end up. After I went back to my room, I cleaned the rosary and slipped it on over my head. The cross fell right at my heart. The necklace itself was beautiful, strung with black and red beads. The cross was silver and had been made to look like nails conjoining together. I tucked it into my shirt and sad a small prayer before going to bed. It was going to be my last night in America.

"Do you need some help?" a young man asked me inside the grocery store. It was my last day and I had decided to load up of food so that I could be prepared.

"No," I said, staring at him.

"Oh, I just thought…sorry," he said, blushing.

"You thought what?" I asked, hoping he would say; 'Look like the President's daughter.'

"You have you sunglasses on I just thought you couldn't…see well," he muttered quietly.

I smiled. "Well, the thought counts, so it was very nice of you to offer." I was excited to be treated somewhat normal while out in public, which hadn't been the case in quite a few years. As I was standing there smiling and flirting with the young man I felt a sharp pain sire through my head. The pain was so intense, like none I had ever felt before. I fell to my knees, writhing on the floor of the small grocery store in pain. I felt as if every inch of me was on fire, but another sensation felt as if I were freezing. My head felt like someone was sticking a knife into it, extracting it, stabbing me all over again, repeatedly and not stopping. It felt like hammers were pounding into my skull, my brain felt like someone had lit fire to it. Tears streamed down my face as I gritted my teeth and squeezed my fists, trying to stop the pain. I don't know how long I was there on the floor, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, but as I was there thinking that I was dying it stopped. There was not easing out of it, nothing to warn me that it was almost over, it simply just stopped.

"Are you all right ma'am?" a man asked.

I looked up to see a crowd of people around me. I slowly stood, shaking. I was so confused about what had happened, I thought that I could have been having a seizure. I caught my breath and propped myself against a shelf. But before I could answer, everyone who had crowed around me began acting the same way I had only moments before. I was scared, what was happening to us all? I stood there in shock, watching all of the people who had come to help me, fall to the floor in pain. Most screamed, some cried, but they were all feeling the same way. After five or ten minutes I wasn't sure about what I was supposed to do, so I grabbed my things, including the nearly full basket of groceries that I was carrying and ran. I emptied the basket into my bag and left the basket by the door and then I continued to run. However, the more I ran, the more people I saw, all acting the exact same way. I ran down the streets, seeing cars that had run off the road. I ran and ran until I made it to a small building, I snuck behind it and hit. Sliding down the length of the wall and coming to a halt at the ground. I waited until the screams stopped. I wondered if everyone was okay or if they were all dead. I slowly crept from my hiding place to see people coming from their houses, their cars, out of the business around us. Everyone was shook up, we were all terrified, but I didn't want to stick around, so I kept running. I didn't stop until I got to a truck stop miles away from town. After I became invisible, I peeped into a few of the truck windows to see their delivery lists until I found one that was going to Canada. Then I quietly waited for them to come out. When he checked his trailer, I hopped in and rode. Because I was '_brilliant_' I didn't think to get a flashlight, so I had to sit in the dark for some fifty or so odd miles. I kept myself occupied by naming off all of the states I had been to, in alphabetical order and named one good memory and one bad memory about them all. I was almost to 'U' when we stopped. Between loads I hopped from the truck and made a mad dash to the nearest bathroom. I didn't know what part of the country I was in, I just knew I was there. Two guys had stopped us and shone in flashlights to search the truck right before we crossed the boarder.

I checked myself out in the mirror once I was able to see myself again. I had some bruises from flailing about on the floor earlier that day. There were also a few from the stuff in the truck knocking into me. Overall, I didn't look too shabby. After fixing myself up a little bit I went into the gas station beside my truck's delivery station.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the nearest hotel is?" I asked the woman cashier.

"Hm…" she said, thinking, "There's one about twenty or so miles that way," she pointed to her right.

I sighed. "That's the nearest?" I did _not_ want to walk twenty miles in the cold rain.

"Yeah I'm afraid so,"

I stood there thinking for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to know the number to a taxi service, would you?"

"No, I don't, but my shift is done in about fifteen minutes and I'm heading that way. If you need a ride I can give you one?"

I debated it, I _had_ told my mother I wouldn't hitchhike but it wasn't really considered 'hitching' a ride since she had offered. And if anything got bad, I would just use my powers and sneak away.

"If it's not going to be a problem then I would really appreciate it,"

"No problem at all," she said with a smile.

I wandered around the store until it was time for her to change shifts. Between that time I bought a gallon of water since I was able to earlier, considering the situation.

The woman had a fairly small, two door car. I didn't know what kind of make it was, I had never learned about that sort of thing.

"So where are you headed?" she asked as we drove along the wet roads.

"No where important, just here for a visit," I lied.

"Without a car?"

"Yeah, I don't drive; I thought it would be more fun this way."

"I guess,"

We didn't really talk much, we just exchanged names, she asked me how old I was, and where I was from. Finally, she pulled into a rundown parking lot of a small motel. It wasn't really what I was looking for but the vacancy sigh was lit up and it was bound to be cheaper than a hotel. I grabbed my bag from the back seat and pulled it into my lap. I dug into my purse and pulled out a crumbled up twenty dollar bill and handed it to the woman. "Here, it's not much but I appreciate the ride."

"I can't take that, honey," she said with a smile.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because you're going to need it you don't know where you're going or have a car to go in,"

"Well, thank you, if was very nice of you to give me a ride."

"No problem, just be careful, there are some crazy people out there."

I smiled and nodded my head in agreement before pulling up the hood of my duster and pulling myself out of the tiny car. I was five foot ten and _not _made for a tiny car.

She waited until I got inside the motel before driving away. After asking for a room the man at the front desk took me to one, opening the door to reveal bad orange carpeting of a room that had a small sink, stove and half refrigerator, a twin bed and a small bathroom. I tried to hide the look of disgust on my face but I wasn't doing very well. Thinking about who had been in that room and what they were doing along with wondering when the last time the sheets were washed made my stomach turn.

"How's this for ya'?" he asked.

"Its fine," I muttered out the lie, hoping I could convince myself.

"Well, here are the keys and its twenty five dollars a night,"

"That's fine," I said, taking the keys from his hand and slowly stepping into the room.

"Well, goodnight, then," he said, turning the lights on and closing the door as he left.

Being in that room made my skin crawl. I started with the bed; I took a blanket that I had snuck into my bag from the last hotel and spread it across it. It covered it plus the two pillows. I sat out all of my food on the table and didn't even bother changing into my pajamas before going to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night when I felt something on my face. I screamed, realizing it was a cockroach. I did not sleep well for the rest of the night, scared to think about what else might crawl over me. But as the sun was rising my eyes wouldn't stay open

I spent the next week in that hellhole, eating peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast and Roman noodles for dinner. It was during that time that I realized just how spoiled I had been my whole life. I would always complain about not having a late enough curfew, I wanted a new outfit, could I have more money for this, could I have more money for that? Living in a bug infested motel room humbled me in a way that I would always be grateful for, but hoped I would never have to live through again. I packed up my things and paid for my weeks stay in the room, caught a ride with a truck driver and wound up standing outside of a bar. Even though I was twenty-two I had never drank before. Right then didn't seem like the perfect time to start but it was raining and it sounded like a storm was moving in, so I decided to go in just to stay warm. It was dark, musky and filled with smoke. I spotted an empty chair at the bar and sat down, tossing my bags beside me. There was a man three seats down from me and I suddenly remembered something my father had told me when I was a teenager: Never trust a man with a mustache, never play cards with someone named after a city, state or country and if the bar's not crowded, sit at least three seats away from the person next to you. I was three seats away, he didn't have a mustache and even though I didn't know his name, I couldn't imagine it was that of a city, state or country. He was wearing blue jeans, cowboy boots, a flannel shirt and a leather jacket. His hair was dark brown and dipped down in the middle, but stuck up on the sides. He had long mutton-chop sideburns that grew into an almost beard, the hair skipping his chin. I stared at him through the dirty mirror behind the bar, but soon saw that he was staring back at me. I blushed an smiled apologetically before looking away.

"What can I get for you miss?" the bartender asked.

"Do you have anything that'll cure a headache?"

"Just about everything I've got,"

"Hm…what do you suggest then?"

"Here, try this," he said, pouring a drink from a label-less bottle into a glass and sitting it in front of me. I took a sip and choked on it. He looked at me and laughed. "You'll get used to it,"

I pushed the drink away from me. "Do you have any water, on second thought?" I asked, still coughing.

"Yeah, hold on," he said with a laugh. He brought me back a glass of water.

"How much was the other drink?" I asked, grabbing my purse.

"Don't worry about it; it's on the house,"

"Thanks,"

"Can I get another one of these?" the man beside me asked, holding up an empty bottle.

"Yeah," he said, reaching behind the bar and handing him a new one. "You wanna' try one of these?" he asked me.

"No, I think I'll stick with this," I smiled, pointing to my water.

"Your call,"

I sat there in the bar for nearly five hours, my time only rivaled by that of the man next to me, who kept ordering more of the same drink, but didn't seem to be getting drunk. It was night and I had assumed the storm, or at least the worst of it, had passed over us, when a man, who was obviously drunk, came up to me asking me if I wanted to dance with him.

"No, sorry," I said with a halfhearted smile.

Somewhere between my response and the next five minutes, the man became violent with me screaming at me and pushing me from my chair. I had never been in a fight, ever since my father was a senator Carls and Burkley had been with me all though high school and college and I suddenly had to deal with the sudden shock of taking up for myself. As I fell from my chair, I stumbled backwards against the bar, tripping over my bag.

"Hey man, give it a rest," the bartending said. To which the drunk man responded by slapping my across the face. A shot of pain ran through me and as I stood there in shook as the pain faded to a stinging sensation in the shape of a large hand. I held up my hand to my mouth, which was bleeding, to see that my hand was no longer visible. The drunken man twisted his face in confusion when he saw that my hand, which had been there only moments earlier, was gone.

"You freakish little mutant!" he said, raising his hand to slap me again.

"Hey!" the man next to me shouted as he stood and grabbed the other man's hand. "Leave her alone."

"Look at her, she's a mutant, why do you care what I do to her?" the drunken man yelled, trying to get out of my strange rescuers grip.

"Leave her alone," he said once more.

I saw the other man come up behind him but before I could warn him, the other man had already stabbed him with his knife. The man who was defending me let out a loud growl before turning around and pushing the second man to the floor, and to the shock of us all, watched as six blades, three to each hand, shot fast from the skin between his knuckles.

"Look, both of you freaks get out of my bar, now!" the bartender yelled. I picked up my bags and ran out the door. I soon heard one of the mean behind me and I turned around to see the other mutant.

"You got a ride, kid?" he asked me. I shook my head no. "Alright, get in the truck."

"But I can't-" I started.

"You want to stay here with these guys who want to hang you? Be my guest, you want a ride; get in the truck." He said pointing to an old beat up truck with a brown and orange camper hooked onto the back. I looked back at the bar to see the drunken man starting towards us.

"Alright, but you can let me out in a few miles," I said as he un-locked his door, slide over and unlocked mine and opened it for me. Glancing back at the man who was only a few feet away I jumped into the passenger's side and buckled myself in as we sped off, slinging gravel from the parking lot.


	2. Making The Connection

Disclaimer: Same stuff, I own nothing...really. Well, I do own a sock-monkey but he was made backwards so he's a little shy and doesn't really count all that much. Enjoy.

Sidenote: There are some random lyrics that I'm sticking in here for enjoyment and whoever finds them first gets a prize...well, not really. I've just written up some that I feel goes with the story. As you may be able to tell I'm a bit of a music freak and all of my stories sort of revolve around music and certain songs. Not unlike this one. So yes, the long bits of text in italics are song lyrics.

"Are you sure you want out in this weather?" he asked after we were driving, the bar out of sight.

"I'll be fine," I said pulling down the visor to look at my face. "Do you have a light in here?" I watched as he reached up with his right hand and switched over a button, turning on the overhead light. I winced, as I looked at myself in the dirty mirror. My lip was swollen and busted in the corner and it looked as if my left eye was going to be black for a day or so. There was a red imprint of a hand still on my face. I felt around, making sure that none of the bones in my face were broken, the pain resurfaced as I felt around the already bruising area. He looked over at me and saw my injured face. He slowed down the truck and pulled over to the side of the road.

"Let me look at your face," he said.

"No, I'm fine," I said quickly, flipping the visor back up. "You can keep going." He grabbed my face, holding the back of my head with one of his hands and my chin with his other one, titling it back so that he could get a better look. I pulled away from him.

"I'm not gonna' hurt you, I just want to see if anything's broken,"

"I know," I said, "sorry." I let him look at my face and make sure everything was okay, but before lone my mind wandered to his hands.

"Here, put this on your eye," he said, reaching into a cooler and pulling out a can of beer. He flipped off the light as I slowly eased it onto my eye and felt immediate relief. I let out a long sigh and relaxed back into my seat as he began driving again.

"What about your hands, don't you need some help for them?" I asked.

"No," he said shortly.

"But I saw those blades, they were big. If you want, I can help?"

"They're fine,"

"Can you at least let me look at them? I mean, I let you look at my eye,"

"Here, look," he growled at me, shoving his right hand in front of my face. I pulled the can from my eye and squinted in the dark, trying to focus on his hand, but I couldn't see any sign of wounds.

"But…I saw blades, metal claws, come out of your hands…how is that possible?" I asked, confused. Had I just thought I had seen it? I began to worry about my sanity as I heard him sigh in frustration.

"You did see them, but they healed," he muttered, lighting up a cigar, sticking it between his teeth and slowly taking a puff.

It finally struck me; "That's your mutation, you heal fast?"

"Yeah, put the can back on your eye,"

We had been driving for around thirty to forty-five minutes in silence when I finally said; "I'm Jewel,"

"Logan," he replied.

"Can I ask why you helped me out back there in the bar? It really wasn't your problem,"

"Because I know what they do to us,"

"What do you mean 'us'?" I asked, taking the no longer cold can away from my eye and looking at him. He looked at me briefly.

"Mutants,"

"But how did you know I was mutant?"

He made a small laugh. "Even the piss-drunk guy knew you were a mutant, kid, I saw your hand disappear when he hit you,"

"So that's why you stopped him?"

"I was getting ready to stop him before that; even I don't like watching woman getting smacked around,"

"Well, thank you…" I said as my stomach growled and I realized that I hadn't eaten since that morning.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

I was strongly suspicious of his concern, even if I was a mutant he didn't seem like the kind of person who would just pick up a strange girl in a bar, help her out and offer her food, at least not without something to pay him back.

"No, I'm fine," I lied and then changed my mind. "Actually, yeah, if you have anything besides Roman noodles then I might be in love with you,"

He laughed again, "Yeah, there's some hamburgers in that cooler right there," he said, pointing to the cooler behind my seat. I reached behind me and pulled it into my lap. I lifted the lid to see three, still wrapped, hamburgers. I pulled one out, sat the box in the floor beside my feet, and stuffed myself with one hamburger after another, after another. He found me a Coke and I downed it as well, throwing all of my manners away.

"Thank you," I said once I was finished eating.

"So, what's with the fake British accent?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked. How did he know it was fake, most people thought I did a wonderful English accent.

"Why are you talking like that?"

"This is how I always talk,"

"Really?"

"Yes," I said quietly, a little disappointed that he did not believe me.

"Who are you running from?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean; who are you running from? Why are you out here all by yourself?"

"There were some things at home that couldn't be taken care of and I had to get away from,"

"And where is 'home'?" he asked.

"Arizona," I said without thinking, "I mean…London,"

"So Arizona, huh? That's a long way to run just because you were having some problems. Why did you have to leave the country?"

"All right, you caught me, I'm not from England," I finally admitted, allowing myself to speak in my own accent. "I heard my father talking about…rules and I knew that I couldn't obey them, so I left."

"How long have you been gone?"

"Nearly two weeks,"

"Hm…" he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Just thinking about how much of a coincidence it is that you run away around the same time that the President's daughter is missing," he said to me with a sideways smirk.

My heart sped up; was he going to tell on me? Was he going to trade me in for a reward? What if _he_ was secret service?

"You can't tell, please," I begged.

"Give me a good reason not to tell," he said to me, "because right now you don't seem to have anywhere to go and get in trouble where you do."

"I'll give you two hundred dollars, cash; just don't turn me in,"

"I've got money, kid, give me a reason."

"My father doesn't understand, he doesn't know that I'm…a mutant."

"So?"

"So, you said it; you 'know what they do to us', my father is being pressured by senators to pass a mutant registration law, if I tell him about me then everyone in the world will know."

"And if you don't he'll pass the law,"

"But if I do then he could lose his job and the law will still be passed. My father doesn't _want_ to pass it, but he might,"

"So how does your running away help that?"

"I know him; with me gone he'll focus only on the really big things. The 'mutant crisis' will be left to a state by state law, which will fail because if the President's not behind it there's more of a likelihood that other people won't vote to pass it,"

"So, you're the only person who could stop it from happening and you runaway?"

"I told you; I couldn't stop it from happening, that's why I ran away, that's why I'm in Canada."

"All right…good enough reason," he said, turning off the windshield wipers since the rain had stopped. "Put another can on your eye, it'll keep the swelling down."

I did as he said. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"New York,"

"Oh, can you let me out before you cross the boarder?"

"No, you're going with me,"

"What? No, I'm not going back into the states. No offense, but all I needed was a ride."

"Look kid, I know a guy who has a school for people like us, he can help you."

"A school for mutants? In New York? My father would have known about this, I'm sorry," I said with a bemused laugh, holding the can firmly against my face.

"Obviously he doesn't know everything. It's safe there, so you don't have to worry about anyone finding you."

I didn't know if he was telling the truth of not, but it sounded nice.

"Alright, fine,"

At least I knew _why_ he had taken me with him, and he didn't seem as dangerous as I thought he was at first. So I didn't feel too terribly unsafe as I fell asleep leaning against the window, listening to the soft hum of the truck engine.

I woke slowly as the sun poured into the truck, across my face and into my eyes. I pulled my sunglasses from my purse but found that they laid across the bruising of my face and hurt too much to wear. Logan didn't say anything to me as I moved around; looking for my bags to make sure everything was still with me. I quickly glanced at the clock; it was a little past seven in the morning. I pulled down the visor to check on the status of my face; my bottom lip was a little swollen to the left side and my eye had a bruise around it, but it wasn't swollen, I just looked like crap.

"Where are we?" I asked, folding the mirror up but leaving the visor to block out the sun.

"Westchester," he replied, giving me a quick glance, "we should be at the school soon."

It was a beautiful morning and I found it somewhat therapeutic to be sharing it with my stranger. He had rescued me, knew my secret and had agreed not to tell, but most strongly; he was a mutant. I had never actually _met_ another mutant before, but to know that there was one, if not more, who was like me and didn't want to hurt people with their powers was an overwhelming feeling, quite the opposite of loneliness.

"So what's the name of this guy you know that owns the school?"

"Professor Xavier,"

"And he doesn't mind you just picking up random mutants in a bar and bringing them back to his school?"

"No,"

"Are you sure?"

"He doesn't care, kid, that's what it's for,"

"To bring in battered mutants?"

"To give a home to runaways. He can help you with your powers, too,"

"I don't need any help with my powers; I know how to use them,"

"You don't know how to control them,"

"And how would you know that?"

"Because when you got scared your hand disappeared, that doesn't sound like control,"

"Well I'm not exactly used to being hit; I had people who could take care of that for me,"

"Not anymore,"

"Thank you for that keen observation, I sort of realized that last night," I said sarcastically.

"It took you that long?" he asked with a cocky grin, proud of himself for winning the argument.

The sun shone on us as we pulled off the main road onto a private drive, driving up the path until a huge mansion was sitting right in front of us. He parked to the side of the house and carried my bags for me. I followed him to the front of the massive house as he opened the door and walked it. It was oddly quiet and I began to wonder if anyone actually lived there or if I was traveling with a sociopath when I saw a man in an electric wheelchair emerge from a room.

"Hello Logan," he said, rolling up to us, "how was your trip?"

"Fine," he said, "Professor this is-"

"Holly," he smiled, "or do you prefer to be called Jewel?"

"How did you know my name?" I asked.

"He's a telepath," Logan answered. I wasn't positive but I was fairly sure that a telepath was someone who could not only read minds but also project thoughts into other peoples minds, as well. And if what he said was true that he also knew my situation.

"Your secret is safe with us," he said to me, smiling with his eyes.

"Thank you,"

"I'm sorry, you must be very tired. Logan would you please show her to a room, you'll find yours is still empty," he said as he began rolling away, "I'm afraid I have to go, classes start soon."

"Come on, follow me," Logan said as he started walking towards a flight of stairs. I followed him to the top where we took an elevator to the next floor. He then led me down a hall and opened the door to a room. "This is yours, it's right beside mine if you need me."

I nodded to show that I understood, but I was feeling incredibly awkward. For the first time since I had seen him earlier the day before, I studied him. His hair looked animal-esque and his eyes were something else completely. They were a beautiful hazel color and held so much in them. Pain and anger, he also looked tired, both emotionally _and_ physically, I assumed. He had been driving all night and I didn't know how long he had been awake before that. I was shocked at my near immediate lust to know the man more intimately. I wanted to know his life story; I wanted to hold him in my arms as he told me of his problems that he insisted on spending five plus hours, and probably more if I hadn't started a fight, trying to drink away. I had been sheltered all of my life and I found myself that standing there, beside that animal man, was filling me with the oddest feelings I had ever had. I had known him for, maybe, ten hours but felt a connection to him. One that I had never felt with another person. After realizing that I was staring at him and not saying anything, I blushed and turned my head away.

"Sorry," I said, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I get weird when I'm sleepy and zone out a little,"

"How's your eye feeling?" he asked.

"Not too bad, I mean it hurts but I think those cans helped quite a bit. I'm very lucky someone like you knew about that," I said with a smile.

"Someone like me?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Well you wouldn't need it, would you? You would just heal, right? I was very fortunate for me that you knew that trick,"

He nodded his head slowly, "What about your lip, how bad is it?" I turned my head so that he could look at it.

"It's not terrible; I think I was pretty lucky he was drunk and didn't hit me harder."

"I wouldn't have let him hit you any harder," he said.

A small smile spread across my mouth. "Well, maybe I was lucky you were there, then."

"I don't think luck had anything to do with it, darlin',"

I turned my head back and looked into his eyes. "Whatever it was, I'm just glad that you were there."

_You know I love your type; you look like you've_

_Been up all night, and some how still look_

_Beautiful, you do it all at the same time. _

_Whenever I walk by, you always look me in the_

_Eye, in that moment I know the same thing's on_

_Your mind._

"Holly, wake up, come on, you need to get up and eat something," I heard as a slow buzz of noise became more clear.

"What?" I asked groggily, pulling my face away from my pillow. I saw a dark woman with snow-white hair sitting beside my bed.

"Would you like you come eat breakfast?" she asked kindly.

"Where am I?" I asked, confused.

"You're at Professor Xavier's school for mutants, Logan brought you here." Everything rushed back to me in a sudden flood of memories.

"Oh right, how long have I been asleep, a few hours?" I asked, sitting up in my new bed.

"No, you've been asleep since yesterday morning. Logan asked me to come check on you."

"I've been asleep since yesterday?"

"Yes," she said, suddenly spotting the fading bruises on my face. "Did Logan…do this?"

"No," I said defensively, "he stopped the guy who did, though."

"Well, would you like to come down and join everyone for breakfast?"

"Is Logan there?" I asked. He was the only one I knew.

"Yes,"

"Then yeah," I said, nodding my head and then asking; "Why did you call me Holly?"

"Oh, the Professor…I can call you Jewel if you want? I didn't know,"

"No, I'm just confused is all," I said with a forced smile.

"All right, I'll leave you to get ready, do you know where the dining room is?" she asked. I shook my head no. "After you go down stairs, when you get to the front door, go to your right and it's the second door to your left. If you can't remember just listen for us, the kids should be talking loud enough for you to hear them."

"Thank you," I said with a short, small smile. She smiled back and left my room, shutting the door behind her. I moved from my bed and dug through my bag, trying to find clean clothes. 'Check if they have a laundry room,' I thought to myself as I sifted through my clothes. I rushed through a shower, tried to cover my bruises as well as I could with makeup and soon found myself at the bottom of the stairs, in front of the front door. Following the woman's directions, I was soon standing in the doorway of a large dining room. In a room full of strangers, I quickly searched for the one person I knew, only to fail in finding him at any of the tables.

"Lookin' for me, kid?" I heard a rough voice growl from behind me. I spun around on my heels, nearly losing my balance. He reached out his arms to catch me and I saw him smile.

"Thanks," I said, regaining my composer and smiling. "Yeah, I was actually. I don't know anyone here, so is it alright if I sit with you?"

"Yeah, c'mon," he said, leading me back to a table where I recognized Professor Xavier and the white-headed woman. There was also another man sitting, who had on a pair of red shaded sunglasses.

"Good morning Holly, how are you?" the Professor asked.

"I'm good, thank you," I said with a smile. Answering everything with a smile had become natural to me after years of my father being a politician. I always had to be on my best behavior and seem happy and friendly. I had to smile even if I didn't feel like it.

"I apologize, this is Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, and Ororo Monroe, also known as Storm, I do believe the two of you have met already, though," Professor Xavier said to me.

"Yes sir," I said, "it's nice to meet you." I told Scott as we shook hands.

"You too, Holly," he said with an unenthusiastic smile.

"Do all of the students…do they know who I am?" I asked.

"No, I don't believe so," the Professor answered me.

"Then would it be alright if ya'll call me Jewel, instead? I sort of just want to fade out and blend in as much as possible while I'm here, if that's okay?"

"That's fine," Storm answered.

"And you're welcome to stay here as long as you like, I believe that you will soon find out that you're not alone anymore," Professor Xavier said with a warm smile. "Although I must be going, I need to prepare for classes."

"Yeah, I'm done, too," Scott said as I watched him glower, as much as he could from underneath his glasses, at Logan and I knew that there wasn't a good relationship between them.

"Well…I suppose I should too, then," Storm said, standing. They soon left the table to just Logan and me. I sat down and began piling food onto a plate. Logan sat across from me, doing the same.

"So, how long have you been…here?" I asked, not sure whether he worked or just lived there.

"Almost a year," he said as he tore into a piece of bacon.

"And you like it?"

"Yeah,"

"Good," I said. We both sat in silence while we ate, until a girl not much younger than I, if at all, came up to our table.

"Hi Logan," she said. She had a thick Southern accent. She had long brown hair, just lighter than my own and two distinctive white strips in the front that didn't look like she had dyed them, but were like that on their own.

"Hey kid, how are you doin'?" he asked her.

"All right, did you have fun on your trip?"

"Yeah, it was okay," he said with a slight smile. "Where's Bobby?"

"Oh, we're uh…taking a break…from each other, just for now, though."

"Are you fine with that?"

"It's alright, I guess,"

"Do you want me to go talk to him for you?"

She smiled, "No it's fine,"

"Okay," he said nodding. "Oh this is uh…Jewel,"

"Hi, I'm Rouge," she said to me, shaking my hand with a gloved hand of her own.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," I said.

"You too," she said with a smile. "Well, I gotta' go to class, it was nice to meet you, though. I'll see you later, Logan,"

"Alright kid, bye," Logan said with a short smile.

"Bye!" she said to me.

"It was nice meeting you, bye," I replied as she walked from our table and left the room. I watched quietly as Logan finished eating his breakfast. "How do you know her, just from living here?"

"I met her at a bar up in Canada last year; she hid in the back of my old truck so she could get a ride."

"So do you make habits of picking up young girls in bars in other countries, or is there just something special about Canada that makes you do it?"

I saw him smile a little. "Must be Canada," he said.


	3. The Man With The Lonely Eyes

Disclaimer: All of the usual stuff, I don't own anything or anyone.

Sidenote: Again there's lyrics in the chapter, this time ending them out so you don't have to be so confused. Enjoy reading!

I had already been at the school for three months when it turned December. My parents were still searching for me and I hardly ever went out because of it. As far as I knew, none of the students knew my secret, only the Professor, Scott, Storm and Logan. I, for once in a very long time, felt like I fit in. Rouge and I had become fairly good friends, and I enjoyed living in the mansion more that I could have imagined. Even though Scott was still tore up about Dr. Jean Gray being gone it had seemed as if almost everyone else had started to get over it. Everything was going the way that I had pretty much planned it, only it wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be. The only thing that didn't fit into my plans; Logan, I had a terrible crush on him and flirted with him like mad. Sometimes he would take it and be friendly with me, but other times it was if he thought he shouldn't even talk to me because I was so much younger than he was. I wanted him to realize that I wasn't a little girl, I was an adult and that I was free to do what I wanted, with the exception of anything involving proper I.D. or other forms of identification, of course. However, it was the same for him, so it didn't matter.

I was sitting in the living room, alone, reading. Everyone had gone out Christmas shopping, but because I knew everywhere was going to be crowded, I opted to stay home. I was reading a romance novel that I had packed with me when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Ahh!" I screamed out, turning in my chair and dropping my book. I saw Logan standing beside me with a triumphant grin on his face.

"You know, you really shouldn't let people sneak up on you when you're all by yourself," he said, looming over me in my chair.

"You scared me half to death, I thought you were gone?" I asked, holding my hand over my chest as I felt my heart beating faster.

"No, I'm here to keep up with you," he said.

"I'm not a kid; I don't need someone keeping tabs on me at all times. I _am_ fine on my own," I said.

"We remember what happened to you that last time you were on your own; you pissed off a drunk guy and got smacked."

"Well, I don't think I'm in any danger here, not like that at least."

"So, what book are you reading?"

"Just a book," I said as he picked it up, thumbed through a few pages and stopped on one. I watched as he raised his eyebrow after reading some of the lines. I began to blush, as I was embarrassed for him to read it.

"You know guys don't really act like that, right?" he asked.

"Some do," I said.

"Like who?"

"I don't know, just some," I said, "and besides Logan, just because you aren't romantic and charming doesn't mean that other men aren't."

"You don't think I'm charming?" he asked, cocking and eyebrow.

"No, I don't," I lied, standing from my chair and snatching my book from his hands and walking away.

"So what do you this is 'charming'?" he asked, making the word 'charming' sound as if it were a deadly disease and talking about it disgusted him.

"Not being able to down twelve shots of whiskey without getting drunk or puking, swearing at everything that breaks or whipping out your middle claw in a clever attempt to flip off Scott," I said, turning back to him.

I watched as he grinned, proud of the fact that I had thought using his claw to flip off Scott was at one point 'clever'. "I guess you just don't have good taste, kid," he said, staring me in the eye.

"And that's another thing; I'm not a kid. Are you aware of the fact that I am twenty-two years old? That's technically an adult, so if you could use my name I would appreciate that,"

"Your name…is that Holly or Jewel?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Either," I said frustrated, "it isn't, however, 'kid'."

"So if you're an adult then why did you have to runaway from home? Should you have just told them to leave you alone?"

"You are _such_ an egotistical, cocky, jerk," I spat.

"That's why you like me,"

"I don't like you, I tolerate you," I smirked, turning away. He grabbed my arm and turned me back around.

"I don't think that's what it is," he said.

Was he _flirting_ with me? Was Logan _actually_ flirting with _me_? I didn't know what to do for sure but I had been in love with him since I had met him and decided to take a chance on what I wanted.

"Then what do you think it is?" I asked.

"I think that you want me,"

"Hm…" I said, "Could you be a little bit more descriptive, because I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Sorry kid, that's as descriptive as I get," he said, walking past me.

I stood in the living room by myself, watching him walk away.

"Logan," I called after him. He didn't turn around, so I followed him. I followed him up the stairs all the way up to the second floor and stopped him just before he opened the door to his room. "Logan, what did I do? I'm sorry if I said something that upset you but could you just explain it to me so that I know what's going on?"

"You're twenty-two," he said to me, resting his hands on his waist.

"I'm aware of that," I said, grasping for his point.

"Do you know how old I am?"

"No, do you?"

"That's not the point,"

"What is, because I'm missing it?"

"Do you know what this will take away from you?" he asked. I was completely lost.

"Do I know what _what_ will take away from me?"

"I won't say it,"

"Could you, please? Because if you don't say it then I don't know what you're talking about and then this conversation is completely pointless," I argued.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"Oh my word," I said with a sigh, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about what you want from me, no games, none of that crap. What was the point of the conversation downstairs?" he asked, motion his hand and point towards the stairs.

I thought about it; what _did_ I want from him? It was plain and simple and that's what I had to tell him, "I want you to treat me like an adult. I want you to see me as a grown woman, not a little kid that you rescued in a bar somewhere. I want you to realize that I _am_ capable of having feelings for someone other than that of a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl. I like you a lot Logan, I have since I met you and I would appreciate it if you would respect me, and my feelings, instead of playing them off as a simple crush. Even if I _do_ just have a crush on you, it's not exactly something I could help, but if you have a problem with it, could you do me a big favor and make up your mind about how you want to treat me? It would be nice if you could decide whether you want to continue treating me like a child and stop flirting with me, or if you like me, too," I said.

"No,"

"No _what_?" I demanded desperately.

"Do you know what I would take away from you?"

"If you're talking about what you would take away from me if we had a relationship together, then the answer is nothing. I don't have anything, Logan. Maybe that's why I'm so wrapped up in you; on a slim chance, you _are_ all I have. I don't have a family, I don't have a life, I'm just living here with all of this guilt and the only time I can ever escape it is when I'm with you. You calm me and protect me, even though I don't need you to. You save me from drowning in my own thoughts. I can sit at my window, stare out at nowhere, and see you everywhere. So don't talk to me about what I would lose it we were together, because the only thing I _can_ lose is you," I said with a tear running down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away. I crossed my arms and turned my body away from his. I was stupid to say all of that; he didn't have to know everything. He didn't need to know how much I felt about him. I cursed myself for saying too much. "I'm sorry, just act like you didn't hear this." I walked away embarrassed and before I got to the flight of stairs you could no longer see me. I just stood there at the top of the stairwell crying. Logan walked to me silently and hugged me.

"Sshh, it's alright," he cooed, stroking my hair in an attempt to calm me and bring me back. As I stood with him holding me, I breathed him in. He smelled of cigars and cheap cologne, and the smell sooth me until I became visible again. He continued to hold me as he began to speak, "I don't want to see you get hurt anymore, especially if it's by me. But I don't want to get hurt again either, kid. I know what it feels like not to have a home, not to have a life and I don't want you to have to feel like that. I know that you're old enough to decided what you want to do, but I don't want to feel like I'm making you do something,"

"But you're not," I said, pulling away from him.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything to keep me around,"

"Okay Logan, but what _do_ you want? What do you want from _me_?" I asked, staring him straight in the eye.

He ran his fingers through his hair. I knew that talking about his feelings wasn't Logan's strongest attribute, _that_ was making sarcastic remarks about everything, which I was surprised he hadn't done during our conversation. "I don't know,"

"Yes you do, you made me tell you now I want to know. Are we on the same page; are we even in the same book?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "I want to protect you and take care of you,"

"You can,"

"I want you to know that you can have a home right here with me; you don't have to run anymore, not unless I'm with you,"

"I do know that,"

"I want you to know that I'm sorry for making you feel guilty about leaving and I hate that I ever did. I know that that was a hard choice to make and that you have to live with it without me saying anything to you," He waited for me to respond but all I did was nod my head showing him that I knew he was sorry. "I want to kiss you,"

"Okay," I said as he put his hands up to my face and pulled me close to him, he looked into my eyes, "This is what I want, too." He nodded then slowly leaned in to kiss me. A desire that had been burning since I met him was finally met as our lips touched. A sensation I had never known was brought to life as I lovingly kissed back the man who felt as lost as me and I felt right at home in his arms, feeling that they were made just for me. Every other boy that I had kisses was just that, a boy. They knew nothing about pain, sorrow, joy or love. They just thought they did. They never knew me, either. I could tell them almost everything but my powers always stayed with me. There was something liberating about Logan knowing all of my secrets and everything about me. It was beautiful being with him, knowing nothing about who he used to be and knowing everything about who he was. He was a man who had felt everything that I had and more. He had lost his life, his home, people that he loved, and in that moment the salvation from our broken hearts was found in each other's arms. I had never felt so free, so strong, and so brave. I was brave enough to touch him as I held his face. I inhaled him deep, wanting to keep that sent in my memory forever. He pulled away abruptly, cursing.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Scott," he said through gritted teeth.

"What is he doing back so early?"

"I don't know,"

"Is he by himself?"

"Yeah,"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Stay here, I'll be right back," he said, turning and going down the stairs. I used my powers and watched over the second floor balcony quietly as Scott walked through the door just as Logan stopped off the last stair. "Are you supposed to be shopping?" he asked with a sarcastic tone.

"I came to make sure the house was still here, we know what happened the last time you were left alone," Scott said, closing the door. "Actually the Professor wanted me to tell Jewel that the President's going to be giving a speech in a few minutes. We tried calling but since you apparently don't know how to answer a phone, I had to dive over here."

"Too bad, 'cause we know how much you have to do anything that involves moving anymore,"

"Just tell Jewel that, okay?" he said.

"Yeah, fine,"

"Good, now I have to go back and actually do my job," Scott said, turning to leave. He opened the door and before he walked out, he turned to Logan and said, "Don't do anything too stupid, we still need a house when we come home."

Once he left, I slowly ascended the stairs, allowing myself to become more visible with each step.

"Did you hear that, kid?" he asked me, still watching the front door.

"Yeah,"

"Let's go see what he has to say, then," he said, heading towards the living room. I followed lightly behind him and by the time I got there he had the TV turned onto a channel playing my father's announcement. I stood silently beside him as we both watched my father walk to a podium and waited as the reporter's claps died down.

"In a conference held this morning the cabinet has motioned to vote for a Mutant Registration Law. We will decide together what the best move is for our country. If we feel that mutants are posing a threat to our society, then we will do whatever is necessary to protect the people of our nation. However, if we feel that mutants in general are not harming us, then with the proper evidence we will not pass the Registration Law. Once that is done, we will decide upon whether or not we will allow there to be a state-by-state law. Moreover, both laws will require all mutants to be kept under twenty-four hour surveillance, be registered as a mutant and a weapon. If it is a state-by-state law then each state will be held responsible for all mutants registered within their limits. We will be listening to arguments from both sides and will weigh the pros and cons before anything is passed. We realize that no matter the outcome, that each decision has its own consequence, both a good and bad outcome. We are fully aware that this will have a significant impact on both the guilty and the innocent. Nevertheless, as I said before, we will do whatever it takes to protect our country and its people. Thank you," he said, tugging on his ear, which he did at the end of every speech. It was always his way of saying 'hello' to our family while he was on TV. We got the idea from 'The Carol Burnett Show', his favorite.

"I thought you said he wasn't going to pass it with you gone?" Logan asked me.

"I don't think he will,"

"I hope you're right,"

_Give a little bit.  
Give a little bit of your love to me.  
Give a little bit.  
I'll give a little bit of my love to you.  
See the man with the lonely eyes  
Take his hand, you'll be surprised. _

So I'll give a little bit  
I'll give a little bit of my life for you.  
So give a little bit  
Give a little bit of your time to me.  
Now's the time that we need to share  
So send a smile, we're on our way back home.


	4. The Whispered Words

Disclaimer: I am but a poor girl, so if you sue me you will get nothing. I do apologize if I muck up the polictics a bit, I'm a home-schooled 16 year old so I don't know all that much about it. But it is fiction, so just act like I'm right about it all, even if I'm not.

Sidenote: More lyrics in italics, keep a look out that for them and know it's not actual dialog. Please enjoy!

The weeks in the mansion from the time of the speech until Christmas had been tense. I knew that Scott and Ororo thought that I should tell my father about myself in hopes that he wouldn't pass the law. All of the students were scared and nervous about it. Rouge and I talked about it all the time, she was terrified that the school would have to be closes down and that she, and all the other students, wouldn't have anywhere to go. I was loaded with guilt that Logan tried to keep off of me, but it came to a head on Christmas Eve when all of the teachers and Logan were in the Professor's office having a meeting. From things I had heard earlier that day, I assumed it was about my situation and me. So I waited until everyone was inside his office before I crept down to the front door, invisible. I pressed my ear against it, straining to hear what they were saying, and prayed that the Professor wouldn't acknowledge my being there, or that Logan wouldn't hear or smell me. Soon the voices became clear as my hearing adjusted to the wood between my ear and the people I was trying to hear speak.

"But we can't make her leave," I heard Storm say.

"Yes we can," Cyclops chimed in.

"She's not leaving," Logan argued.

"If she's putting mutants in danger that she will, we're not closing this school because you have a crush on her. And shouldn't there be a rule about bringing mutants home when you pick them up in bars? Look what happened last time with the Liberty Island attack."

"If you have a problem with me we can take this outside, and if that's what it's about then let's leave her out of this, alright?" Logan said, raising his voice.

"Well you sure move on pretty fast, wasn't it just a few months ago when you were crying over Jean?" Scott quipped.

"It's not my fault I treated her better than you did,"

"You don't know how to treat woman, you sleep with them and leave. You especially don't know how to treat someone like Jean, I loved her and she loved me, not you,"

"If that's what you want to think," Logan shot back.

"Gentlemen!" I heard Professor Xavier yell, calling their attention. "This is not that time, nor the place for this sort of behavior. You will not act like this inside of my house. We need to focus on what I called you in here for; Logan believes that it will only cause more problems if she goes back to her family and Scott believes that it will solve our problems. Now, I would like to here Ororo's thoughts on the matter,"

"I agree with them both to a point. I don't know if it would solve our problem if she went back or not, but I think to some degree we should try. On the other hand, if she does tell her father about herself then he could lose his position because of it. And if that happens then we pretty much lose," she said.

"How do we know he would lose his position if it were to come out that she's a mutant? How is anyone even going to know about it but him?" Scott asked.

"It's not as simple as her just telling him. He is the President and there are security precautions, even more so now, I assume, after Stryker's attempt for Kurt to attack him. With that much security someone is going to hear it besides him. And he could be taken out of office from withholding information about their lives, even thought it is Holly and he didn't know about it. Being a mutant is looked at as being worse than committing a murder. Also, as Ororo said; if he's taken out of office we lose our biggest influences on the public and judicial systems." The Professor said. "And I'm quite terrified about what Erik might do if he were to find out about her. There's not telling what he might come up with if he thought he were capable of getting his hands on her. So I do believe she is much safer here."

"I agree," said Storm.

"What? This could be our only hope at stopping this stupid law from being passed and we're just going to say no because she's safer here? What about us, what about the rest of the kids, how safe are we?" Scott asked.

"Scott, we cannot just tell her that she has to tell her father the truth about herself. I do believe that you know how hard it is to tell someone about it, and I trust that you will not press the subject any further until she wants to talk about it. However, let us just wait until we see what the out come of the vote is, we can deal with it from there and take action if needed." The Professor decided

I assumed that the meeting was over, or nearly that. Therefore, I crept back upstairs and went to my room. It was only a matter of moments after jumping into my bed that I heard Logan's footsteps coming down the hall. I held my breath, waiting for him to pass my door and go into his own room. Instead, he stopped right outside my door. I wondered if I should act as if I was sleeping or not. However, I figured that he would know the difference so I flipped on the lamp beside my bed and grabbed my book off the side table, flipping it open to its marked page. I waited for him to move, not sure of what he was doing. I breathed a sigh of relief as he finally knocked on my door.

"Come in," I said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

He opened my door slowly and leaned in. "Hey," he said.

I looked away from my book that I was pretending to read and smiled at him. "Hey," I said back. I sat up in my bed, folding the corner of my page back over and placing it back on my bedside table once again. "Here, sit down," I smoothed the covers down so that they were not lumpy and he could sit.

"No, I'm fine," he said.

"Alright, was there anything you want unparticular or were you just on your way to bed?"

"I was actually going to ask you what you were doing next week?" he asked, running his hands nervously through his hair.

"I don't think I'm doing anything, not important anyway. What is next week?"

"New Years,"

"Oh yeah, no, I'm not doing anything. Why, are you? Because if you want to go somewhere that's fine with me, assuming that that's what you were asking?"

"Actually I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with me?"

"Like a date?"

"Yeah…sure,"

I really didn't like going out in public but I figured that everyone would be focusing on the New Year instead of looking for me. "Alright, yeah, that sounds like fun," I smiled. It was going to be our first, official, real date.

"Alright, I'll figure it out this week then and tell you what we'll do, I guess."

"Sounds good to me," I said, smiling at him. He smiled back but something about it seemed less than happy and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine kid, just tired,"

"Well you better get some sleep because I'm waking you up early in the morning," I said, continuing to smile, hoping that I could break through my feeling that something was off.

He smiled and nodded his head. "Watch out, I sleep naked so you might want to knock first," he said with a wink.

"Gross," I said, shaking my head in disapproval. "Just sleep as late as you want, I'd rather see you when you're clothed,"

"Goodnight," he said to me.

"Goodnight Logan," I said back. He began to walk towards my door but paused and turned back around, walked back to my bed, leaned down and kissed me. He was soft and gentle and a way that I had never felt before. He slowly pulled back, taking my breath away. "Wow,"

"I'm not gonna' leave you, kid, and I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise," softly whispered in my ear. I didn't know what had come over him, but I had never before had I seen him act like that.

I placed my hands on the sides of his face, "I know that, I trust you," I looked deep into his eyes. "What are you not telling me, though?" I asked.

He nuzzled his nose against mine, his lips grazing my own, tempting himself to kiss me once more. "My heart belongs to you, don't let anyone try to tell you it does," he said, holding my hand to his chest. I could feel his heart beating fast, he was nervous.

"I won't, I promise," I said, still looking him deep in the eye. I waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. "I love you, Logan,"

At that, he returned my stare, gazing into my eyes. He lightly kissed my bottom lip and with my hand still against his heart he softly whispered, "I love you, too, Holly,"

To hear him say my name was rejoiceful in its own right. He wasn't calling me kid or Jewel, he was telling me, Holly that he loved me and those words and the feelings attached to them would never fade from my mind. I didn't learn whether he was joking about sleeping in 'the buff' or not because he didn't leave me that night. He just stayed with me and held me. We didn't talk all that much, he didn't say anything and I didn't want to ruin our moment. So I let the silence fill the room and with my hand against his heart, I allowed the feeling of true happiness to wash over me. I softly hummed the lullaby my grandmother had always sung to me before bed when I was younger, and with the words dancing in my head I began to drift off to sleep. '_Let me call you sweetheart, I'm in love with you. Let me hear you whisper that you love me, too. Keep the love light glowing in your eyes so blue; let me call you sweetheart, I'm in love with you_.'

"Holly, do you want to come down and watch the kids open their presents?" Storm asked, walking into my room. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know. I'll leave,"

It was Christmas morning and I had asked Storm to come and wake me before the kids started opening presents because I wanted to watch. However, because I hadn't planned for Logan to stay all night with me, I didn't think about what everyone else would think if they saw it.

"Oh no, Strom, it's not…uh…let me talk to you outside for a second," I said, getting out of bed, leaving a sleeping Logan by himself. I grabbed her arm, steered her out of the room, and closed the door behind me. "I know that this probably looks bad, but nothing happened. I mean, that's it, we just slept together…well, not _slept_ together, but you know what I mean, right?"

"Holly, its fine, there's nothing wrong with it and as long as you're not a student there are no rules against it. I'm happy for the both of you,"

"Really?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes,"

"Okay, could you do me a favor, though?"

"Sure,"

"Don't tell Scott,"

"I don't think he would have a problem with it,"

"I know that he really doesn't like Logan, for reasons I can understand, and if he finds out about this then I'm afraid…I don't want it to hurt him or anything. I know that Logan sort of had…a thing for his wife, or whatever, and I just think it would be better if he didn't know about it," I arguably pleaded.

"All right, I won't say anything, I promise,"

"Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "Oh, and if you want to come down everyone's eat breakfast and they're about to start opening presents."

"Okay, I'll be down in a little bit."

"Alright," she said and then walked away.

I waited until she was out of my sight before I went back to my room. As I closed the door behind me, Logan woke up, pulling himself up from my bed. He looked around groggily until he saw me, then he fell back down, his face turned towards me.

"Hey," he said.

"Good morning," I replied.

"What time is it?"

"A little after six," I said, glancing at my watch. He mumbled something that involved 'too early' and swearing. "What?"

"You snore," he said.

"So do you," I smiled. "Do I really?"

He smiled at me, "No,"

"I didn't think so," I said, walking back to my bed. I crawled in behind him, wrapped my arm around him, and rested me head on his back, kissing his shoulder.

"Is everyone else already awake?" he asked.

"Yeah, Storm said they were all eating breakfast right now,"

"Storm?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Yeah, she came to wake me up," He swore and rolled out of the bed. Caught off guard, my face nearly hit the mattress. "What's wrong?"

"She saw us?" he asked, hovering over me.

"We weren't doing anything, why does it matter? Besides, she said she wouldn't tell Scott and I assumed that the Professor would find out about it on his own," I said, sitting up in bed.

"But _she_ knows," he said.

"So? Did you not want anyone to know anything was going on between us?"

He ran his fingers through his slightly ruffled hair. "No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?

"Nothing, it doesn't matter,"

"No, you can tell me,"

"Just forget about it,"

"Do you and Storm…did the two of you ever…"

"No," he snapped quickly.

"Alright, just asking," I defended with a smile.

"Sorry," he apologized with a sigh, "I'm not used to this?"

"Use to what?"

"This sort of thing,"

"Are you going to get irritated if I ask what sort of thing?" I asked sheepishly.

"No," he said smiling at me, "I don't do this, I don't…sleep in the bed with a woman without…" he paused, trying to be delicate with his words.

"I understand," I said, trying to relieve his nerves.

"And I don't hold a woman in my arms all night either,"

"You still don't. Somewhere around two in the morning you nearly knocked me out of bed," I smiled.

He raised his eyebrows, "Sorry,"

"It's fine,"

"And I don't…I don't, uh…" he said, running his hand through his hair again, nervously.

"You don't what?" I asked.

He looked right at me and I knew what he was going to say. "I don't tell woman that I love them."

"What about Jean?" I asked.

"What?" he asked, sounding slightly offended.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it rudely or sarcastically, I'm being sincere, did you love her?"

He stared at me as if I had gone mad. He was telling me that he had never treated a woman like he had me and I was asking about whether or not he was in love with someone else.

"I never told her," he said.

"But you _did_ love her, right?"

He let out a long sigh, "Yeah, I did,"  
"Then why didn't you tell her?"

"Because she was with Scott,"

"So, if you loved her, then what harm would have it done to tell her?"

"She knew and she chose him over me,"

"I'm sorry," I said sympathetically. "I know that's not something you can always get over, not easily anyway. If you ever want to talk about her you can, it's fine with me."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement, but I knew that the likelihood of him actually talking about her was slim, he wasn't that kind of guy, but I just wanted him to know it was okay.

"I'm hungry, you wanna' go eat?"

"Yeah, okay,"

_The dawn is breaking,  
A light shining through.  
You're barely waking  
And I'm tangled up in you. _

_Yeah_

_I'm open, you're closed.  
Where I follow, you'll go.  
I worry I won't see your face  
Light up again. _

Even the best fall down sometimes,  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills my mind  
I somehow find  
You and I collide

Logan and I walked to the nearly empty dining room together, to see most of the older kids still eating. I did not want to sit at the X-Men table, I felt out of place with them and after Logan's argument with Scott the night before and Ororo's discovery that morning, I thought it might feel slightly tense. So Logan followed me as I sat down at a table, across from Rouge and he sat down beside her.

"Hey guys, Merry Christmas," she said, smiling as we sat down.

"Hey kid," Logan replied.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," I said, grabbing a plate. "I'm surprised there's still food left."

"None of the other kids really ate, they just wanted to open their presents," she said. "Oh, that reminds me Logan, I got you a present, I'll give it to you later,"

"Alright," he said, taking a bite out of a biscuit. I rolled my eyes. "What?"

"Just wondering if no one ever told you not to talk with your mouth full or if you just don't give a care?"

He ran his tongue across his teeth. "I don't care," he said, "why, does it bother you?"

"No, not at all," I lied.

"Does it make you sick to watch people talk while they're eating?" he asked with a smirk.

"No, it doesn't. I just think it's rude, that's all," I lied again.

"So this doesn't bother you?" he asked while taking another bit of his biscuit.

I looked down at my plate and used my hand to shield my eyes. "You are so immature, I swear,"

"You shouldn't swear, kid," he said with a laugh, proud of himself for being quick enough to think of it.

"I'm glad you at least find yourself humorous, because no one else does," I smirked.

"I'll remember that,"

"For what, when I'm laughing at you? The only time I have ever been interested in something funny you were saying was when you were trying to tell me the rest of the 'There Once Was a Man from Nantucket' joke and Scott stopped you before you got to the ending. So here's a little clue Logan: no one thinks you're funny,"

"She's laughing," he said, pointing to a giggling Rouge.

"She's humoring you,"

"I don't think so,"

"It's true; she's just being polite,"

"I think you're just jealous,"

"Oh what, your humor, because I am _much_ funnier than you,"

"No you're not,"

"Yes I am. I'll have you know that all of my father's friends thought that I was quite quick-witted and humorous,"

"And what's their jobs again?" he asked sarcastically.

"That has nothing to do with it," I said.

"I think it does,"

"Whatever," I said, "you're just a sore loser."

"So I'm immature, not funny and a sore loser?"

"And ill-mannered, but yeah, that sounds right to me." I said playfully, smiling.

"Has anyone heard anything else from the President lately?" Rouge asked after a few moments of silence.

"No, but I was watching the news last night and they said that they're expecting an answer by next week, so I would say some time just before or after the new year," I said.

"What do you thinks going to happen?" she asked, worried.

"I don't think it'll get passed," I said to her, stabbing the sausage on my plate with my fork.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean if the proper evidence is shown then I don't think it will. The numbers of registered mutants that have not committed crimes are equal to those that have, so if they are truly concerned with it then they will realize that it doesn't stop mutants from committing crimes, the ones that commit them are going to do it no matter what. I think if they carefully think about it then they'll see that the only thing that would come from a registration is possible violence from the humans, not us."

"I'm just really scared," she said.

"Listen, you shouldn't worry about it until we hear for sure what's going to happen. If they pass it here in the states then we'll go to Canada," Logan said.

"You and Canada," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Do you have a problem with Canada?"

"No, it's a lovely but lovely. I just think that you have an un-natural obsession with it,"

"What's un-natural about it?"

"I actually think you were comforting Rouge, weren't you? Or were you just talking to hear the sound of your own voice?"

"No, that's you," he said, cutting into a stack of pancakes.

"Yes, because we all know how much I love myself," I said sarcastically.

"About as much as Logan loves Canada," Rouge chimed in, giggling, and I laughed so hard that I snorted.

I was happy that Rouge was joking around a little bit. She had become so serious over those past few weeks. As I was sitting there, I was hit with a sudden rush of guilt. Rouge had a huge crush on Logan, though she never actually told me, everyone knew about it. Same situation as me; she ran away, he rescued her and she was smitten. The only difference between judging the outcomes lied within our ages. Rouge was only just eighteen, versus my twenty-two, already old enough when I met him to know what I was getting into. I hadn't told her about the two of us, and I was slightly worried to. I didn't want her to be mad at me for it but it was something that I felt strongly about. I was sure that she knew anyway, though. Out of everyone else, I expected her to catch on faster. Although the truth was that, we didn't really act any different with each other in public then we ever had. Picking, flirting, and making fun of each other was something we had done since we had met, so I wondered how obvious our relationship seemed to everyone else. Was it completely evident that I was in love with him and him with me? Or was it the same since I had been in love with him since I had met him, anyway?

"Jewel," I heard as my attention snapped back to the conversation.

"What?" I asked.

"I said do you wanna' go watch them open their presents now?" Rouge asked.

"Oh…yeah, let's go," I said, standing.

"We'll see you later Logan," Rouge said, pushing her chair back to the table.

"Yeah, okay," he said. He was still eating.

As Rouge headed towards the door I turned to Logan and mouthed 'I love you,' He gave a small smile and continued to eat his pancakes.

"Here, this is for you," I said, handing Rouge a present, "Merry Christmas,"

"Thanks, here's yours," she said, handing me a fairly large box. We were sitting in the living room, which had become rather empty once all of the kids decided to go try out their new toys. We were away from all of the other students, sitting by the fireplace. I watched as she opened her box and smiled. "Thanks." I had bought her five pairs of vintage opera gloves, the kind that went all the way up the arm.

"I thought you might need them in case you wanted to dress up," I said.

"Open yours,"

"Okay," I said, carefully pulling back the wrapping paper on the box. I lifted the lid, pushed the tissue paper away and gasped. "Oh my word…"

"I couldn't remember if it was the one you said you wanted or not?"

"Yeah…this is it. I can't believe you bought it for me, thank you so much!" I gushed. What Rouge had bought me was a dress from the same vintage store where I had bought her gloves. I had been obsessed with it since I had seen it in the store window a couple of months back when she and I were out with the other students shopping. I hadn't bought it because A; I didn't see the point in spending so much money on a single dress when I was still trying to save my money, and B; I didn't have anywhere to wear it.

"I thought that Logan might like it, too," she said quietly.

"He might not fit into it too well," I joked, then looked up at her from the dress and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry; I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to be mad at me. I am really sorry, though."

"I know, I'm happy for ya'll…is it alright if I still like him, though?"

I smiled. "Yeah, that's fine with me.

"And can I still give him his present?"

"Rouge, you've known him longer that I have and you're friends with him first, if you want to still be friends with him it's up to you, whatever you feel comfortable with," I said.

"Really, you don't care?"

"No, I don't care,"

"Thank you," she said with a small smile.

"Thank you as well, it means a lot to me that you're not mad,"

It was nearly midnight when I heard a light knock on my door. I hadn't heard anyone walk up because I had been reading and trying to finish the book that I had started weeks before. I wasn't quite sure that I had actually heard it so I waited. When I heard it once more I called out; "Come in," Only seconds later was Logan pushing open my door and stepping into my room. "Hey, what are you doing still up this late?"

"I didn't get to see you much today," he said. He was standing in front of my open door, wearing a pair of blue jeans with a solid green color flannel shirt and a white wife beater underneath.

"Well come sit with me then," I said.

"No, you're reading,"

"I've been reading it for like, two months; I don't think it'll be a problem if I stop for the night,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I want you to come sit with me," I said, folding over the corner of the page in my book, and then placing it on the nightstand right of my bed. He closed the door behind him, came, and sat down on my bed beside me. He sat up against the headboard and I snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arms around me and held me why I lay my head on his chest. I listened intently to his heartbeat as it made a steady drum, matching my own.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" he asked.

"Yeah…how about you?"

"It was good," he said, playing with a piece of my hair. "Is this the first time you haven't been with your family for it?"

"Yeah,"

"Do you miss them?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I do. A lot actually,"

"Are you ever gonna' go back?"

"I don't know, I had never really thought about it. I just assumed that I would always stay here, but I guess when my father's run in the office is up it would be fairly safe to go back. I'm not sure, though,"

"This can be your home, you know?" I pulled away from his arms and looked into his eyes. I lightly kissed his lips.

"As long as you're here, it will be," He kissed my forehead and I could hear him inhale my scent. I lightly grazed his pursed lips with my fingers. "I don't see how you could have ever thought that this could take something away from me?"

"I don't want to lose you," he said, touching my face.

"You won't, I'm yours, you can keep me," I whispered by his ear, kissing his neck. "Will you promise me that you'll keep me?"

He nuzzled my neck with his nose, "Yeah, I promise,"

I lay my head on his shoulder. "I do love you,"

"I know darlin', me too,"

I was tempted to ask him whether he meant that he loved me or if he loved himself, too, but I didn't. Instead savored the moment, listening to him breath, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine, the smell of cigars and his same old cologne, feeling his arms wrapped around me as he held me tightly, knowing that I could live the rest of my life like that and I would be happy.

I drifted off to sleep, my face buried into his chest. When I woke the next morning alone, I wondered if what had happened the night before was just a dream, when I sat up and saw a small box sitting on my bedside table, which was poorly wrapped. I picked it up and slowly unwrapped it, wanting to take care of the paper so that I could keep it. I carefully pulled the lip from the box to see a small cross, attached to a beaded necklace, and under it was a piece of paper. I removed the paper and unfolded it, written inside was; _'You have saved me from who I was and what I was becoming,'_ I kissed it and held it to my heart. I then placed it back into the box, removed the necklace and sat the box along with its wrapping paper inside of an empty drawer of my nightstand. I took off the rosary that I had worn since it had been given to me months before and replaced it with the necklace that Logan had given me. I had only given him a Zippo lighter, not knowing _what_ to buy him, but I knew I could give him something more. I quickly got up from me bed, pulled on a sweater and walked over to Logan's door. I tapped on it light, not wanting to wake anyone else around our rooms. I waited patiently as I heard him walk to the door and open it.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I said back, smiling. "Why did you sneak off?"

"I thought you might not want me trying to kick you out at two in the morning, so I let you sleep."

I nodded lightly, looking at the ground. "Thank you for my present," I said, looking back at him.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't give it to you yesterday," he said, ruffling the back of his hair.

"No, it's fine; I actually have something for you, too,"

"I thought you already gave me mine?"

"I did, but this is something else," I breathed deep and let it out before holding out my hand. "Here, it's not much but someone gave it to me once to repay me for something good that I had given them, it's supposed to keep you safe and since it led me to you, I want you to have it."

He reached out his hand and accepted the rosary. "I can't take this from you," he said.

"What you've given me is something bigger that I could ever repay you for, all I can give you is my prayer for protection over you," Even though it was simple, something so small, something that otherwise wouldn't have made us turn our head to look at, that's why it meant so much. There was something material that represented how we felt; lost and happy to have been found, to have been rescued, to have been saved. From others and ourselves, and to be with the one person who we knew understood everything we felt, not having to explain it to them, just knowing.

"All I want from you is to love me and let_ me_ protect _you_," he said.

"Well, I think you've had my love since I met you, so you don't have to worry about that," I said with a gentle smile.

He pulled me to him and kissed me. My emotions swirled all around me and all of the guilt, fears, anxiety, shame, hate it all faded away to only leave joy, safety, forgiveness, kindness and love. On that day at that moment the ground felt strong enough to stand on, I could open my eyes and see hope. I could taste the feeling of hurt and pain melting away and leaving just the two of us standing there, knowing that no one else would ever be able to match how intensely passionate we were for each other, and never wanting anyway to be able to prove us wrong. I placed my hand against his heart, feeling the rhythm of its beats. He slowly pulled his mouth away and I could feel the sting of his hot breath against my sensitive lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me to him, burring his face in my hair. We stood there holding each other so tightly, fearing that it we ever let go we would lose one another.

"I won't let another happen to you, darlin', I promise," he breathed into my ear. And with everything I had in me, I believed him.


	5. Beautiful Disaster

Disclaimer: I don't anything anything, although I wouldn't mind owning Wolverine, so if Marvel is ever looking to give him a good home I've got a comfy place down south? Just a thought...

Sidenote: Again, more lyrics, in italics, at the bottom. Please enjoy!

"Jewel, may I have a word with you, please?" Professor Xavier asked me outside of the dining room the next day. We had just gotten through eating lunch.

"Yeah, sure," I said, following him into his office. He motioned for me to sit down in the chair in front of his desk.

"I don't usually get involved in this sort of thing, I know that it's none of my business but I thought that perhaps I should say a few words in this case," he began. "I've noticed how close you and Logan have become lately and I just wanted you to know that although I am happy for the both of you, it may not be like this in a few more days,"

"What do you mean?"

"If your father passes the Mutant Registration law then this school will be closed down and I'm afraid if that were to happen,"

"Logan won't want to speak to me?" I interrupted.

"Not quite, but he does believe you very strongly when you tell him that you don't think your father will pass the law,"

"But I _don't_ think he will,"

"I wish we could all share in your optimism about it, but-"

"You think he'll pass it?" I cut him off.

"Yes,"

"Why?"

He sighed. "I don't know, but I do believe that there is a strong chance that he will,"

"But why would the shut the school down, I didn't think anyone knew what it was?"

"That was _before_ Stryker's attack on the mansion. Your father somewhat knows about the school but choices to look the other way, after this week he may not be able to anymore,"

"You want me to go back," I said, more as a statement rather that a question.

"No, I believe that you should do what you feel is right,"

"I can't talk him out of passing a law, I'm technically not allowed to talk to him about them until after they're passed or dropped. If I go back now there's no impact that I could have on the decision."

"But I believe you could,"

"How, what am I supposed to do? Show up at the White House and say; 'I'm a mutant, could you not me a favor and not reinstate the registration act? Thanks,' First of all they would do so many tests on me to see where I've been, make sure that nothing's wrong with me and what happens if I start disappearing from all of the stress? What if they track me back to here and arrest you, Scott, Storm and Logan because they think that you've been keeping me here?"

"You can tell them the truth,"

"It doesn't work like that, no one listens to me. I can't just defend you. It's not that easy. Hardly anyone likes my father anymore, and they like me even less. I stayed out of the media and I lived in a state on the other side of the country, everyone thinks that I'm some rich snob. If I show up now screaming about mutant rights then everyone's going to laugh and think that all of this, these past few months, it was all just a publicity stunt so that I could have people listening to me and then what's going to happen to us? There will be more hostility than before. If I _truly_ believed that I could help in some way, I promise you that I could, but from my view point all I see are dead ends,"

"You know your father and the men and woman that he is working with far better than any of us, and if you believe that this is the best decision then I will support you with it,"

"Alright," I said.

"You may leave now, if you wish,"

I nodded my head, stood from my seat, and walked to the door. However, before I opened it, I turned back to face him, "Thank you Professor, for everything. I had never met another mutant until I met Logan and I really appreciate you allowing me to live here with everyone else. This school means so much to all of them and I know that you are very proud of it and your students. Whatever it takes for me to repay you, I will one day," I said, then left. I shut his door behind me and began walking towards the front door. I needed some fresh air.

"Hey, where are you going?" I heard from behind me. I turned to see Scott walking towards me.

"Out for a walk, I need to clear my head,"

"Mind if I go with you?" he asked.

"No, not at all," I smiled. I was wiry of his intensions, I knew he didn't like me but I was happy that he was trying. The two of us quickly pulled on coats, scarves, hats and gloves before going out.

"So, where are we going?" he asked, looking at me.

"I don't know, down to the park, I guess," The first few minutes of our walk were a little awkward with neither of us talking, but setting a steady pace. "Sorry," I said, breaking our silence.

"For what?"

"I know that this hasn't been a good year for you and that my whole situation only adds to your problems but as soon as all of this blows over I'm going to try and get my things sorted out and maybe live on my own,"

"You know the Professor said that you could stay as long as you wanted,"

I smiled, "I know that's what he _said_ but I don't think too many people would care if I left,"

"Logan would,"

"He'd be the only one,"

"Not everyone hates you, you know?"

"No, I didn't,"

"You're just sort of a hard person to talk to…with all of your lies that you're telling people and you don't let anyone get to you, except Logan."

"He understands me, he knows how I feel. I don't mean to be standoffish but when everyone's saying that I can fix this problem and I know I can't, I rather not talk to ya'll because I know that I disappoint you and I don't like to disappoint people,"

"Then that's your problem," he said.

"Oh, I just have one?" I asked with a laugh.

"That's your biggest. You're going to disappoint people no matter what, because everyone's going to want something different from you,"

"But Logan doesn't, he doesn't want anything from me,"

"Are you sure about that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It just means that Logan's used to getting what he wants and he does whatever it takes to get it. It's all about saving his own skin,"

"He doesn't always get what he wants,"

"If he doesn't have it he's working on it, with no regards to anyone else,"

"Like with Jean?" I asked, immediately feeling the sting of my own words. "I'm sorry, that was mean,"

"No, you're right. He tried to get Jean but she wouldn't let him. Maybe that was the only thing he didn't get,"

"Maybe it was the only thing he wanted. I wasn't here when it all happened but maybe he wasn't just trying to piss you off, maybe he actually liked her,"

"I have no doubt that he liked her, and I don't ever blame him for that. Jean was, is, a beautiful person, but he went about it in the wrong way,"

"And what way was that?"

"Jean and I were together, he knew that and he still wouldn't let it go,"

"But if you trusted her then you shouldn't have worried about anything, should you?"

"It wasn't her that I didn't trust, it was him. I still don't trust him,"

"But why, because he's not the same as you? I know that the two of you are quite a bit different and that the two of you handle things differently but shouldn't the two of you…work together instead of fighting all that time?"

"This isn't a one sided fight, he hates me too, which is fine by me, but it's not my fault that he doesn't want to cooperate as a team,"

"But shouldn't you be able to over look his behavior because you know that's just how he acts?"

"No, there's no excuse for him to behave the way he does,"

"How does he act, arrogant and cocky? That's just how he is, he doesn't really think he's all that great but he puts up a front so that no one will mess with him,"

"And so he being an ignorant moron is just a cover, too?"

"It must be because_ I_ don't think he's stupid. Yeah, sometimes he's hard to get along with but your problem is that you're used to being the leader and in comes a guy who doesn't follow orders and now you're having to adjust to him and trying to work him into your plan, which you had already had figured out. Things don't always work out the way you plan them, but they always work out the way they are meant to. Maybe Logan is meant to be here for a reason other than to just piss you off,"

"And what do you know about things working out the way they're supposed to?"

"Do you actually think that I planned on being her? Hiding and lying about myself, changing how I look and act? I was a straight A student, I was going to a good college, I had a nice dorm room, I had family and friends, I had a life, do you think that I actually _planned_ on just giving all of that up? I had it good and I knew it, but I had to make a decision to help someone else, to help the people that I loved. I gave up my life to give something to my parents, to other mutants, that they were going to take away. Do you think that I had an easy time doing that? Do you think that it was easy for me to just walk away and leave everything that I had and everyone that I loved? It was because it wasn't something that I had _planned_ on doing. I know that I'm only twenty-two and I haven't been through as much as you have, and I'm honestly sorry that you lost your wife, but it happened. I'm sure she didn't plan on it but she knew that if it was meant for her to live she would, but she gave up something so that you could live, so that those students back at the school could have someone to give them a chance, give them hope and a life. I'm not going to pretend that my running away and your wife sacrificing herself for ya'll is anywhere near the same thing, but they were _meant_ to happen for some reason,"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, I won't pretend I do about that, either. However, something makes me believe that she didn't give up her life just so that you and Logan could argue about everything, it was, it is, so much bigger than that. You have an opportunity to save those kids from a life that made them outcasts, from people that didn't understand them. All they need is a little bit of patients and acceptance, why is it any different for Logan?"

"Because he's not a kid,"

"No, but he still feels that way. That's his only home; he's found something there that he won't let go of,"

"You?"

"No, a chance to escape from this world. You may think that I had it easy, but you don't understand how well you guys have it here. This world is full of people who want to stop us, who hate us, who are scared of us, but when you step through that door of that school it's not a place that you have to worry about letting your guard down, or that you can't trust anyone. Logan may hate you but I truly believe that he trusts you and that if he had to he would give his own life to save yours. I never understood it until I got here and came to the school, but this is a family, albeit a dysfunctional one, it's still a family. And I know that the both of us are happy to be there,"

"And you believe that there's some deep reason for why you're here?"

"I don't know if it's a deep reason but I find it a little bit more than just a coincidence that your wife worked around my father, that Logan was in Canada in that same crappy bar as me just days after she died and found me and brought me here. Why else would the President's daughter have to go all the way out of the country just to be brought back to Westchester, New York? So yes Scott; I do believe that there is a reason for me being here." We had stopped walking; we were standing face to face talking. We weren't very far from the school and we hadn't quite gotten to the park yet.

"I just hope it's a good reason," he said, turning and leaving me. I debated whether to continue walking or to turn around and leave with Scott. My head wasn't going to get clear; I was only going to catch a cold. So I followed him and with a giant stride, walked past him. I stayed a few feet in front of him until we got back to the school. He then followed me up the stairs and in through the front door.

"Hey Scott, we need to talk," Logan said as the two of us walked in together.

"Don't worry Logan, I have more respect for woman than you do, I didn't touch her," Scott huffed, breezing by Logan as I glowered after him, still taking off my outdoor wear.

"What was that all about?" Logan asked me as I put away my things in the closet.

"Looks like your 'pal' has a bit of anger management problems and I don't seem to fit into any of his solutions,"

"I'm gonna' go talk to him,"

"No, it's fine, we both just need to cool off, I think. I'm going to go to my room and lie down. I'll talk to you later," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you sure, darlin'?"

"Yeah, its fine, I just need to get some rest and clear my thoughts," I smiled.

"Alright," he said, pulling me to him and kissing me on top of my head. "If you need me you can come get me."

"I will," I told him as I hugged him, breathing him in. "You smell good, is that a different cologne?"

"Yeah, it's the stuff Rouge gave me," he said with an amused smile as I sniffed his neck.

"I like it," I told him, placing a kiss on his neck. "I'll see you later." I walked up to my room and fell onto my bed. My sleep hadn't been that good the night before and I felt tired from my argument with Scott. I hated living in a house that wasn't my own, with people who didn't like me. The only things that were keeping me there were Logan and my fear of having to live on my own again. I knew that if I had had to spend those months that I lived there on my own I probably would have given up sooner and went back to my family. For some reason I still felt heart broken and lost without them. Maybe it was because I could see them on TV but I couldn't talk to them. I couldn't even talk _about_ them, not to anyone but Logan and because I knew that he had no family, I spared him my moans and complaints about mine. I fell asleep looking at my window and watching the snowfall and wondering if perhaps it was snowing at home and my mom and dad were watching it, thinking about me. I fell asleep but woke up later that night after I heard someone talking in another room. As I became more aware of myself, I realized that it was come from Logan's room.

'He must be having a bad dream,' I thought. I had heard what had happened to Rouge so I didn't dare go wake him. I wouldn't be able to survive as she had. Instead, I waited until he had stopped talking and then went to his room. I opened the door just a little bit to see him sitting up in his bed, his face buried in his hands. "Logan?" I said quietly, not wanting to startle him.

"Hey darlin', what are you doing awake?" he asked shakily, looking up at me.

"I heard you talking and thought you were having a bad dream, I wanted to check on you to make sure you were okay?" I said, still in a hushed voice.

"Yeah…I'm fine,"

"Are you sure?"

He looked at me from his bed, the only light coming from the moon outside of his window and the far away hall light that spilled in behind me. He was sweating and his bed was a mess, as if he had been tossing around it in. "Just more stuff I can't remember, that's all,"

I pushed the door open and slipped into the room, carefully closing the door behind me. I crossed the room to his bed and sat down behind him. I ran my hands across his bare back (I discovered that he _was_ wearing a pair of sweatpants). "Let me hold you for a little bit," I said, pulling him to me. "My poor Wolverine, I hate that those dreams haunt you," I whispered into his ear. I ran my hands through his hair and then wrapped my arms around his waist; he held my arms to him.

'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?" he said.

"That's not fair, though," I said, kissing his shoulder, "you can't die."

He turned around, facing me, and held my face with his hand. I kissed the palm of his hand. "There's a lot of things that ain't fair, it doesn't stop them from happening, you just have to deal with it,"

"Why are you bitter at everyone?"

"Because I used to be and I was the only one who knew it. They might have something I don't, but I've got something they don't have either,"

"What?"

"You,"

"No offense but I don't think anyone's really all that jealous about it, I'm hardly anyone's 'saving grace'."

He paused for a moment and then said; "Do you know how many times I'm put a gun to me head, in my mouth, or under my chin? Do you know how many times I've pulled the trigger? Do you know how many times I've opened my eyes to see the bullet lying by my head, to see the gun lying beside me in some motel room that I had only gotten to bring some nameless waitress to? Do you know how many times I've thought about trying it since I met you? Do you know how many times I day I think about holding you, wishing it was night so I could go to your room and just be with you? Do you know how many times I want to taste your kiss instead of a bullet? Do you know what you do to me?" he asked. He gently wiped the tears falling from my face away with his hand. He pulled me to him and held me.

We sat talking all night long and while we watched the sunrise together, his words plagued me. I meant something to him, I meant a lot to him and as he held me that night I found in him something that I had been starving for; a need for someone to want me as badly as I wanted them, a desire to have a connection between two souls beyond words. Written down on paper, Logan and I shouldn't have worked out, _didn't_ work out. But together, or _that_ made so much sense. We made sense, we worked and I believed that no one could tell me anything that would make me love him any less. I was young and even though I had loved so many people, thought that I had loved people, I had never experienced something so…pure and tainted, innocent and haunted, something that made me feel so strong but so weak. A love that had no limit to it, one that I couldn't see the end to, and believed whole-heartedly that there wouldn't be one. I found in him a home and a harbor for my heart, safety and protection and a sense of freedom that I had never known before. I had grown up with fairytales and being told that that was a way of life; let a Prince come and rescue you, take you off and marry you, and then the two of you live happily ever after. Logan was a far cry from a Prince, he was a animal, he was _my_ animal, and although he had rescued me, heaven help me if I didn't put up a fight for myself and not just let some good looking hot-shot come in and save me. We would never get married, we couldn't, and that was fine by me. I didn't need a piece of paper to tell me that we were going to love each other. As for 'Happily Ever After', well, it wasn't something that I was going to throw out to him. Who lives like that? No one is always going to be happy, and for us, mutants, we weren't like everyone else. But Logan and I…well, we were special, we knew it and as far as I was concerned they could throw every fairytale at me, I didn't care, because it wasn't real. What was real was the feeling of his arms wrapped around my body, holding me close to him as we watched the bright orange sun rise from behind the trees as the snow continued to fall from the sky. Yes, in the sleep-deprived moment, I found my reason for being alive; to love an animal man who was seeking forgiveness of the deepest kind, for acts he could no longer remember. To take pain away from a broken soul, to heal invisible scars, to mend the damaged heart of someone who could never ask for what he needed, and I could find no greater purpose in life than that.

_He's magic and myth, _

_As strong as what I believe_

_A tragedy with more damage _

_Than a soul should see_

_He's soft to the touch  
But frayed at the end he breaks  
He's never enough  
And still he's more than I can take  
Oh and I don't know  
I don't know what he's after  
But he's so beautiful  
He's such a beautiful disaster  
And if I could hold on  
Through the tears and the laughter  
Would it be beautiful?  
Or just a beautiful disaster_

_He's beautiful  
Lord he's beautiful  
He's so beautiful_


	6. Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nor do I have money, so if you sue me all you're going to get is like...the notebook I wrote this in, which I had to borrow money to buy it with.

Sidenote: More lyrics at the bottom. I've been trying to use spacers to keep the story from all flooding together but when I save the changes they take them away. Hopefully it'll work this time. Anyway, I'm sick, so I'm going to let ya'll get on with it and, hopefully, enjoy the story!

"Do you know how to play cards?" Logan asked me. It was around nine in the morning and we hadn't left his room since I had gotten there.

"I know how to play rummy…" I said sheepishly with a smile.

He let out a small laugh. "Pull up that chair and I'll show you how to play poker."

"But we don't have anything to play with," I said.

"You've never played strip poker?" he asked with a sideways smirk.

"Ha-ha, very funny, and no; I've not,"

"I've got some poker chips in one of my bags somewhere, I'll find them," he said, searching through the bags in his closest, most of which were half-empty with only a few cigars and lighters left in them. Finally, he pulled out a fairly small bag and emptied it onto his bed. Chips and a deck of cards fell from the bag onto his bed, a few spilled off and I picked them up and placed them with the other ones. It took him about ten minutes to show me how to play, and the differences between the colored chips, then he dealt three rounds in which I lost, but convinced him they were only 'practice rounds'.

"Alright, this is a real round now, put on your poker face,"

He just shook his head at me and dealt my five cards. I looked at them carefully, trying to decide if I had anything worth betting on. I had two threes and one seven, so I bet a hundred and twenty-one (just to get on his nerves because he didn't understand the point of me betting the extra 'one') in hopes of getting a three of a kind. I laid down my two cards I didn't want and picked up my two new ones. I had gotten another three, so I had my three of a kind, but then I realized that my other card was another seven…I had a full house. After betting once more, he showed me his cards, throwing down two pairs.

"What do you got?" he asked.

"Uh…a full house, does that beat two pairs?" I asked.

He sighed. "Yeah, that beats it,"

I clapped my hands. "Yay, I beat you!" I smiled. "I'm not too shabby, am I?"

"You lost the firs three games,"

"Those were practice games, so I could get the hang of it, I told you that. And, you have a bad poker face."

"I don't have a bad poker face," he said.

"I think you do,"

"This is the first time you've ever played, how would you know if I had a bad one?"

"Because I'm just _that_ good Logan, you'll have to get over it one of these days," I said jokingly as he dealt another hand.

I was right in the middle of debating what I should put in for my second bet when he asked; "You wanna' go out?"

"No, I'm just thinking about my bet," I said.

He shook his head and laughed a little. "I meant for breakfast,"

I looked up at him from my chips. "Oh, uh…sure,"

"Alright, right after I win this hand we can go," he smiled smugly.

"Well, Mr. Logan, it may take a while before we get to eat because I don't think you're going to beat me," I smiled back. He, of course, won and then I left to get ready. I needed a shower and to find some of my clothes that were clean. I hadn't washed any in a while. I rushed through a quick shower and threw on some blue jeans and a sweater. After blow-drying my hair I had to do what took the most of my time getting ready; my makeup. I could keep dying my hair and wearing different clothes but my face still looked the same. So I took my time to apply it, dark eye shadow and liner. Which I was never allowed to wear at home. It looked too 'harsh' on my pale skin, my mother's make up person, Janice, would always tell me. I had even gotten Strom to buy me a pair of colored contacts so that I could change my bright green eyes to a dark brown color when I went out. It was important to me to look as little like Holly as possible and to become Jewel when I was out in public. My whole demeanor had to be changed. After about thirty or so minutes I was done and ready to go. I walked out of my bathroom and saw Logan sitting on my bed.

"This place looks…messier in the day time," he said to me with a smooth smile.

"Well, if you have such a problem with it then by all means, feel free to clean it anytime you want," I smiled back. "Let me grab my purse and I'm ready to go," I told him, slipping a scarf around my neck and knotting it in the front, then realizing that I always wore my scarves like that and changed it, allowing the ends to hang down in the front. Although I doubted anyone would notice how I wore my scarf, I wanted to be careful and make sure, just in case. I grabbed my purse from between my bed and nightstand. I'm not sure why I kept it there but I thought it was safe.

"Ready?" he asked, standing. He was wearing his ever-popular outfit of cowboy boots, blue jeans, a flannel shirt, a blue jean jacket and a leather jacket over it all with his big, redneck, belt buckle pulling it all together.

"Yeah,"

We took one of the school's cars and drove to a small diner only around ten or fifteen minutes from the school. It wasn't big or crowded so the two of us sat ourselves in a booth near the back. A woman came over to us and introduced herself; "Hi, I'm Elisabeth, I'll be your waitress, what would you like to drink?"

"Uh…" Logan said, looking at one of the menus, sounding disappointed that they didn't have anything with alcohol in it, "Coke."

"I'll have a coke as well," I said, looking up at her and smiling. Again with the polite thing; I was taught to smile about nearly everything when talking, at that point it was the only 'political manner' I had left. I quickly studied the menu for something that I would eat. By the time Elisabeth had come back with our drinks I was ready. Logan went first and ordered the big breakfast plate, which seemed to have been put together by someone who was obviously not Jewish. It had bacon, sausage, ham and Canadian bacon on it. 'Ahh, that's why he ordered it,' I thought, 'Canadian freak.'

"Can I have the Philadelphia burger without the green peppers and a side order or chili cheese fries?"

"You sure can,"

"Alright, thank you,"

"I'll be back in a bit with your orders," she smiled, walking away.

Logan stared at me, "What?" I asked, forcing a fake annoyed voice.

"The whole point of going out for breakfast is to eat breakfast," he said.

"I don't like breakfast food," I said defensively.

"Since when?"

"Since never, if I have to eat it then I will, but if I have a choice than I would rather have something else,"

I spotted a jukebox in a corner and quickly pulled two dollars from my purse. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"We need some music," I said with a smile. I walked to the jukebox and flipped through the pages after putting in my two dollars, which bought me four songs. I selected "I Won't Dance," by Frank Sinatra, "What a Beautiful World," by Luis Armstrong, "We Will Rock You," by Queen and "Cryin'" by Roy Orbison. When I came back to the booth, Logan didn't look too pleased with my song selection. "Oh come on, I picked a Queen song out for you,"

"I don't like Queen,"

"Well it sucks to be you then, doesn't it?" I said sarcastically. "Who do you like, if not Queen?"

"I don't know, I'm not a big music guy,"

"Come on, someone like you, spending you time traveling from bar to bar, you must listen to the radio quite a bit, don't you?"

"No,"

"Well why not?"

"I told you; I don't care for music,"

"Too bad, because from now on this is our song. Wherever I am, years from now, and I hear this song I'll think of you and the time we spent together in a small diner in Westchester. Yes, I can see it now; sitting by a fire in a rocking chair and telling my kids of the grumpy old man that I was eating with when they played this song," I said jokingly to egg him on.

"We ain't havin' grandkids," he said to me.

"Well technically you wouldn't get to decide that, you would only get a say in whether we had kids or not,"

"Alright, we ain't havin' kids,"

"Well what if I want kids? I mean, not right now, but someday, what about then?"

"We'll talk about it then,"

"Alright, fine," I said, pretending to be mad, but I couldn't hide my smile.

It wasn't long before our food came out and while we were eating an older, plump, woman came up to our table. "I hate to bother you miss, I was just sitting in my booth and I saw you and did you know that if it wasn't for your brown eyes and hair you would look just like the President's daughter Holly?" she asked.

I smiled at her sweetly, "I've heard that a few times since I've been here," I said. "We just got in from Canada and a few people have stopped to tell me that,"

"Oh, you're from Canada? How long have you been here?"

"Not too terribly long, we came down together," I said, motioning to Logan, "we came before the holidays." I wasn't _completely_ lying, we had come down together, it hadn't been that long ago and it was before the holidays, I just didn't say which one.

"Oh…ooh!" she said, realizing that Logan and I were _together_, "are the two of you married?"

"No, uh…no," I said with a small smile.

"Well I'm sorry to have interrupted your breakfast; I just thought I would tell you how much you looked like her,"

"Alright," I smiled. I hated it when people made comments that I didn't know how to respond to, and since my, technically, looking like myself wasn't a compliment I couldn't exactly say 'Thank you'. It was just a statement. It drove me crazy. Finally, the woman went and sat back down at her table to eat by herself.

"You know, you_ do_ look like her," Logan said sarcastically as he bit into a piece of sausage.

"First of all; please don't talk with your mouth full, and second of all; you have severe problems and I've changed my mind, I don't want to have kids with you, they might inherit your messed up sensibility," I said, taking a sip of my coke.

He made a deep chuckle. "You think I'm the only one of the two of us that's got problems? You need to check again, darlin',"

"I'm perfectly normal, no one's ever complained before. I think it's just you,"

"You're normal?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"More than you,"

"And how do you see that?"

"Because I'm not Canadian," I whispered to him across the table with a wink. "So where are we going on Friday?"

"What's Friday?"

"You said you were taking me out for New Year's Eve," I said, slightly upset that he had forgotten when I had been so excited about it. He smiled slyly. "Oh you're such a jerk!"

"It's an Italian place that the Professor suggested, is that alright?"

"Yeah, if it's food it doesn't matter what kind,"

"Except breakfast,"

"Exactly,"

"Well here come the two love birds, did you wreck my car Logan?" Scott asked as we walked through the door.

"Didn't take it, someone else must have," Logan lied. I laughed and followed him up the stairs and to our rooms.

"I think I'm going to take a nap, you wear me out," I said, opening my door.

He smiled and nodded his head. "Alright," he said, pulling me to him and kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he moved us back into my room, shutting the door and leaning up against it. He held the back of my head with one of his hands and wrapped the other one around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I ran my hands up through his hair, grabbing a handful and slightly tugging. "Watch the hair, darlin'," he joked, pulling his lips from mine and turning them upwards in a half grin.

"Sorry," I smiled back.

He ran his hand slowly down the side of my face, sending shivers across my skin. "I'll let you sleep," he said with one last small kiss and then leaving.

I didn't sleep; instead, I decided to clean my room. Logan was right; it was a mess. I piled all of my dirty clothes into my laundry basket, made my bed and tidied up my bathroom. I felt better about my situation when I cleaned; it was somewhat therapeutic to be able to take care of my things. Which, granted, at that point wasn't very much. I could feel somewhat responsible when I took care of myself. It was empowered to know that I didn't need my parents or Carls and Burkley looking after me all the time, and I was fine. The longer I was at the school, the better I felt about being myself, oddly enough. It was like before I had to watch everything that I did so that people would see me as a 'bright young woman,' but at the school, I didn't have to worry about what everyone thought about me. I could actually act my age, not like a forty-year-old married woman. For the first time in my life, as I pretended to be someone else, I had never felt more like me. As I carried my dirty clothes down to the laundry room I thought that perhaps I had always been 'Jewel' and I was, in fact, acting like 'Holly' all that time. Maybe I was meant to be like that but I had never had the opportunity.

"So is your reason to be here so that you have a place to make out with Logan and do your laundry?" Scott asked me as I shut the lid on the washing machine. I hadn't heard, or seen, him come in.

"You know, I don't think I did anything to piss you off, because if I did I don't remember it. I'm sorry if you think that I have some control of this…situation that we're waiting to hear the ruling on, but I don't, I didn't and I never have. I'm not stupid; I'm in this just as much as you and the students and all of the other mutants around the county. But for you to be rude to me because you're scared, which is what this is all about, is something you should deal with, not me." I said, grabbing my laundry basket from the floor and sitting it on top of the washing machine.

"I'm scared? Of what?" he asked with a forced laugh.

"You lost your wife and if this law is passed you'll lose this school which is the only home you've has since you were…fourteen, right? And you'll also lose the Professor, who has pretty much raised you. If you're not scared, you'd be stupid,"

"I just think that you could do _something_ about it," he said, staring at me…at least I _think _he was.

"Like what? You tell me what to do, give me a solution that doesn't have any problems, give me a plan that isn't going to come back on these kids, give me that and I'll do it. Otherwise just leave me alone about it, because I can't think of anything better to do than to just wait,"

"I don't understand why you can't just go back and tell him that you're a mutant, he won't pass it if he knows his daughter will be hurt by it,"

"Because if it were just that easy then I would, wouldn't I? If I tell him about me then it could get out into the public and he could lose his job because of it. If that happens then there will be a strong demand to have a registration act put into effect so that they'll know everything about the future Presidents and their children. That is _not_ a good solution and I'm sorry if I'm grasping for straws here but I'm thinking that the chances of my own father passing the law is a lot lower than him being stripped of his position and it being passed that way. I'm not doing this to be selfish, if that's what you're trying to get at,"

He lowered his head, thinking. "You're right, I'm sorry," he said quietly, walking to the door.

"About what?" I asked, wanting to hear him tell me specifically why he was apologizing.

"For giving you a heard time, I'm mad that Logan can just move on so quickly while it still kills me to wake up in an empty room."

"So you take it out on me?"

"I just feel like this situation could be taken care of, even though I don't know how, and I blame you for that, whether it's really your fault or not. And I blame him for bringing you here because if I didn't know you then I wouldn't blame you,"

"You know, it sucks that you lost Jean, she seemed like a very nice person, but for you to be pissed at Logan because he and I are together is stupid. He's not over her and I'm sure that neither of you will_ ever_ be, but isn't that something you should take care of instead of making rude comments to me? I don't know your whole history with Logan, I don't know everything that happened between the two of you over her, but you're both adults, so shouldn't you act like it?"

"I said I was sorry,"

"But are you?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't," he retorted angrily.

"Alright then," I said turning back to see how much time was left on the washing machine, assuming that he was leaving. However, I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to see him standing right in front of me. Before I knew what was going on he had his mouth to mine, kissing me. I was in too much shock to protest, how had we gone from arguing to kissing? Had he asked if he could kiss me? Had I said 'yes' without remembering? Certainly not, but the thought of him just…kissing me like the way he was, was odd. I soon fought through my shock and pushed him away from me. As I stuck out my hands, stopping him, I saw that they weren't visible. I quickly looked at the rest of my body and all of me was gone. "What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, I just…sorry,"

"You just what?" I yelled in a shrill voice. I couldn't believe that Scott, of all people, would just start making out with me in the laundry room.

"I wanted to understand why he did it,"

"Why who did _what_?" I asked, still yelling.

"I wanted to know how hard it was for Jean to stop Logan from kissing her,"

"Are you aware of the fact that I am _not_ Jean and you are _not _Logan?"

"Yes, but he loves you as much as I loved her and I just wanted to know if it was easy for her to stop him,"

"You have some serious problems that need to be resolved in a way that doesn't involve me,"

"I _am _sorry, I didn't mean to do it, I didn't plan it, I'm just really sorry,"

"Look," I said, grasping to get a hold of my emotions so that I could become visible again. "If you don't say anything to anyone about this, and I mean _anyone_, even if the Professor asks you don't say a word, then I won't say anything either. I won't tell Logan and he won't kill you, okay?"

He nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, okay," he said and walked away. After he shut the door, I went to sit in the chair that was in the right corner of the same wall as the washing machine and dryer. I tried to set the rhythm of my breathing to make it even, breathing in and holding for seven seconds, then letting it out and hold for seven seconds.

"Are you alright darlin'?" I heard a deep voice growl from near the door. I looked up from the floor where I was concentrating on to keep my focus. I saw Logan standing in the doorway. I wasn't completely visible but I gave him a small smile anyway.

"Yeah,"

"I saw Scott coming out of here; did he say something to you?"

"No, he didn't say anything to upset me, it was just something…it was something else,"

"Are you sure?"

I saw my hands slowly come back to color and visibility. "Yeah, I'm sure, I was just thinking and got a little upset, that's all," I lied.

He looked down at the floor and nodded his head. He knew I was lying but I wondered to what extent. Did he think that Scott was just picking on my or did he know exactly what had happened? I highly doubted the latter considering he hadn't chased Scott down and killed him already. "I just came to tell you that I have to go out for a while, I'll be back later tonight before dinner,"

"Okay, be careful," I said with a smile.

"Yeah, okay, bye," he said leaving the room.

I sat by myself, stunned that I had just lied to him. We had always been open with each other, or so I had thought. He hadn't told me about kissing Jean, I had found out about that on my own. Therefore, I decided that it could easily be rationalized for keeping what had happened from him. It still hurt, though. I didn't like the thought of keeping something from him. I was left alone the entire time of doing my laundry, and since meeting Logan, actually felt it.

_I want you to want to know me  
I want you to call my name  
Wish that you would know  
There's more than meets the eye  
There's more to find  
I want you to start asking questions  
I want you to understand  
There's so many people around  
And once again  
I'm getting lonely._


	7. Catch Me If You Can

Disclaimer: I own none of the Marvel characters, sadly, or otherwise I would be quite rich, which I'm not...

Sidenote: More lyrics, this time sort of in the middle, they're in italics, though, so you should figure out that Logan isn't actually singing "You Look Wonderful Tonight" to her, although that _would_ be quite funny. Please enjoy.

"Hurry, I wanna' see what you look like," Rouge said to me through my bathroom door. It was New Year's Eve and I was getting ready for my date with Logan.

"Okay, hang on," I said, tying the bow of my dress. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw the look of a distantly familiar person; Holly. I opened the bathroom door and Rouge grinned at and let out a giddy laugh.

"Logan is gonna' die, you look beautiful," she said.

I was wearing the dress she had given me for Christmas. It was a knee length, cap sleeved, ivory lace dress with a matching colored slip under layer and a thin black ribbon that went around the middle as a belt and tied in the front. I was also wearing the high heels that I had worn the day that I had run away, but I had to clean off the grass stains since I hadn't worn them since that night. I had curled my hair some, I had begun to get tired of it being straight all the time and thought it would look more romantic, which seemed to have been my theme. I went easy on the makeup, using a shimmery beige and ivory for them, and focusing on my mouth instead, since that's where Logan liked to spend so much time. I had used a teaberry colored lip-stain and put on a little bit of shimmering gloss. It wasn't quite as harsh as what I had grown used to but I still thought that I didn't look like me; I had never looked that way. And as it had been since I had received it, I was wearing the black cross necklace that he had given me.

"I hope that he's not mad at me for keeping him. I had the hardest time cleaning these shoes,"

"He's not gonna' care how long it took you," she said, still smiling.

I took a deep breath and realized that I was actually _nervous_ about out date. I hadn't been nervous about going on a date since I was a teenager and yet I found myself fidgeting and slightly shaking. "Okay, I better not keep him waiting any longer; we were supposed to leave ten minutes ago."

She followed me as I walked down stairs, he had told me he would wait for me in the foyer, but when I got to the bottom of the stairs, he wasn't there. I looked around, thinking that maybe he was planning to sneak up on me, which he seemed to enjoy doing, for some reason. However, I didn't see him, but I saw that the door to the Professor's office was opened some and thought I would go ask him. Rouge and I walked to the Professor's door and I lightly knocked on it before entering. After pushing the door open, I saw Logan and Storm standing in his office talking to him.

"Good evening Jewel, Rouge," he smiled to us.

"Good evening Professor," I smiled. "I hope I'm not intruding but if it's all possible, might I steal Logan for the rest of the night?"

"You're not intruding at all, and you may take him. I hope the both of you have a very good New Year's Eve," the Professor said with a kind smile.

I caught Logan staring at me from the corner of my eye and smiled. He had never looked at me as he did that night. It was as if even though I had been trying to convince him that I was an adult, and that's what he had thought of me, I had never looked that way, until that night. I wasn't expecting him to fall to his knees and proclaim his undying love to me and tell me that he thought I looked beautiful, with a stare like his I didn't_ need_ it.

"Alright, we'll be back later," he said.

"Have a good time and be careful," Storm said to us as we were leaving.

"We will!" I called back over my shoulder. We walked to the closest to get our coats and I finally took a look at what he was wearing; his cowboy boots, blue jeans, his belt buckle and a maroon shirt that _wasn't_ flannel. It wasn't too terribly dressy, but I commended him for trying.

"You clean up pretty well, darlin'," he to me as he slipped on his leather jacket.

"You don't look too shabby yourself," I said with a wink.

_We go a party  
And everyone turns to see  
This beautiful lady  
That's walking around with me  
And then she asks me  
Do you feel alright  
And I say yes, I feel wonderful tonight_

_I feel wonderful  
Because I see the love light in your eyes  
And the wonder of it all  
Is that you just don't realize  
How much I love you_

Together we drove to the small Italian restaurant that was only about twenty minutes away. It was not very fancy, I didn't really expect it to be, but it was nice and again; I just thought it was sweet of him to try. We were seated and given menus and as I was looking over mine, I saw someone in the corner of my eye and it caught my attention. There was a dark man in a suit standing by one of the doors, which wouldn't normally set me of since it was a holiday, but he was wearing sunglasses inside and when he turned his head I saw that he was talking into an earpiece. I looked to my left and saw another man doing the same and I started to worry.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked me. He could smell my fear.

"I don't know, just act normal," I said.

"Do you wanna' get outta' here?"

"No, nor right now," I said. He looked around and saw the same men.

"Look, we're gonna' order, sit here for a while and eat and then you're gonna act sick and we'll leave, got it?"

I tried to act casual and nod my head in response but I was getting panicky. "Yeah, alright," I said, forcing a smile. I wanted to blend in and not look like there was a problem.

"You're gonna' have to calm down or we're gonna' have another problem completely," he said to me.

I cursed myself for not letting the Professor help me control my powers. I was stupid to have thought that I could teach myself. I tried some deep breathing to regulate my heart rate so that I could attempt to look casual, or otherwise I wasn't going to be much to look at, period.

"So are we going home after this?" I asked, forging a conversation.

"I don't know, did you want to?" he asked, playing along.

"Why don't we drive out to Time Square and watch the ball drop?"

"If that's what you wanna' do, darlin'," he said just as our waiter came to take our order. I half mindedly ordered something, having not actually paid attention to my menu.

"May I offer you some wine?" our waiter asked.

"Yes please," I said with a smile. I had heard it could calm you down, which I could have used.

"May I see your identification then, please?" he asked.

"Oh, uh…" I said, trying to think of why I couldn't give it to him.

"You let your wallet at home, Jewel," Logan excused me.

"Oh, well, I suppose I'll just have to stick with water," I said.

"Alright, I'll be back with your order soon," he said, leaving. He was in on it.

Logan shifted his eyes around, trying to watch all of the men.

"How many are there?" I asked.

"Six that I can see,"

"I'm sure there's some sitting at the tables. Whenever I would go on a date they would post a few around me that looked like civilians just in case,"

"This isn't a date, this is a raid," he said.

"I know," I said, taking a sip of my water, "do they know it's me, though?"

"I can't tell,"

"Do you think it would be okay if I went to the bathroom?"

He gave a quick glance around without looking suspicious. I felt like he had been in that sort of situation before. "Yeah, just don't rush or take too much time,"

"Okay, I'll be back in a little bit then," I said, standing from the table, then leaning down and whispering in his ear; "Whatever happens, don't let them know what you are." I walked to the bathroom, passing the agents on my way in. I decided just to stay in there for a moment and try to calm down. I was getting far too nervous and jittery watching them all. It wasn't too long before a woman came in after me and began fixing her makeup in the mirror beside mine, where I was pretending to do the same. I knew she was secret service undercover and didn't give her a second glance, I just continued to act as if I was fixing my hair.

"This is a nice place, isn't it?" she asked.

I thought about using my English accent but thought that our waiter had probably been wired and they had already heard my voice. "Yeah, it's alright," I said, still playing with my hair.

"This is the first time I've ever been here; my husband and I just came from Washington for the New Years,"

"Washington the state or the capitol?" I asked not missing a beat while pretending to fix my lip-gloss.

"Oh, uh, the state, I've never been to the capitol…have you?"

"No, my boyfriend and I just came down from Canada for a visit, someone he knew suggested this place and we thought we'd try it out before going back home,"

"Ah, so when are you going back home?"

"I don't know. I wanted to drive out to New York City first, so probably in a few days,"

"So you drove here from Canada?"

"Yeah, he hates planes," I said, looking at myself in the mirror.

"So does my husband," she said with a smile.

"So much for men being the protectors," I said sarcastically, deciding not to smile, and then leaving. I went and sat back down across from Logan, our food already at our table.

"That woman who followed you in there," he started quietly.

"Is secret service, I know," I said, cutting him off.

"Did she talk to you?"

"Yeah,"

"How'd it go?"

I let out a long breath. "I just hope my acting skills are better than your poker face," I said with a slight smile.

We got through most of our dinner without anything going wrong and then it was time for me to fake sick. I waited until our waiter was at our table before I told Logan that I wasn't feeling well.

"Do you wanna' go back home?" he asked, keeping eye contact with me.

"No, I'll be fine, it's just a headache and I'm feeling a little dizzy, that's all,"

"I'm gonna' take you home,"

"Are you sure, you haven't even finished eating yet?"

"Don't worry about it, darlin'," he said to me, "can we get a check?"

"Yes sire, I'll be right back with yours," our waiter said, leaving.

"They're going to probably find a reason to talk to us, so just be natural about it, alright?" I said to him, still keeping eye contact.

"Yeah,"

After five minutes, our waiter brought our ticket. Logan carefully counted out the right amount and left it on the table. We were so close and I had never been so nervous in my life. Together we stood up and slipped on our jackets, him trying to look perfectly calm and me trying to look sick. We began walked to the door, I held onto his arm and leaned my head on his shoulder, trying to somewhat keep my face hidden. Logan had just pushed the door open when a man called out to him; "Excuse me sire, may I talk with you for a minute?"

Logan turned around and looked at him, I let go of his arm. "I'm in a hurry, she's sick and I need to get her home," he said, motioning to me.

"It's not going to take long; she can sit and wait for you,"

"I don't think you understand, I have to get her home. Now,"

"No, I don't think you understand sir," he said condescendingly, "this is pretty important."

"Do you have a business card and I'll call you?" Logan said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You know, with as long as we've been arguing about this we could have already talked about it and settled it."

Logan stepped back into the restaurant and turned to me, giving me a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right back, sit here and wait for me," he told me. I sat down in one of the seats by the front door and watched him disappear behind a corner, following the man.

I hadn't been waiting long when a woman came up to me where I was sitting. "Hey, your boyfriend's in a bit of trouble and he's asked if we could give you a ride home"

"What kind of trouble?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that right now but he said that you weren't feeling well and needed to be take home,"

"I'm feeling better, I'll wait,"

"I'm afraid you can't,"

"Why not?"

"Holly, he's going to be here for a while, it's pretty serious,"

"What did you call me?"

"He said your name was Holly,"

"No, it's Jewel and I would like to know who you are and why I should ride anywhere with you?"

"Well, Jewel, I work for the security here and it's okay, I'm safe, you can ride home with me and everything will be fine,"

"Can I hear _him_ say that?"

"No, you can't,"

"Then I'm not going anywhere,"

"Listen, you're making this a lot harder then it has to be,"

"I don't think I am,"

"You think that this is a reasonable reaction to the situation?"

"I don't know, because you're not telling me what the situation is,"

She looked around her, "Do you want to go outside and talk?"

"Yes, because the New York winters just feel so lovely and refreshing to be out it," I replied sarcastically.

"Can I talk to you in here, then?"

"I suppose, but I'm not leaving until I get to talk to him,"

"Alright, would you like something to drink while you wait then?"

"Sure," I figured they wanted to talk to me and make sure I was or wasn't who they thought I was and when they could see that I wasn't who they were looking for they would release Logan. It wasn't long before she brought me back a glass of water and sat down beside me.

"So how long have you and your boyfriend been going out?"

"I don't know, a while," I said, taking a small sip of my water. It didn't taste funny and it looked clear, so I assumed that there was nothing wrong with it.

"Do you live around here?"

"No, we just came down from Canada,"

"Oh…that's a beautiful necklace, are you Catholic?"

"No, my boyfriend gave it to me, it has sort of an inside meaning,"

"Well that's very nice, all my old boyfriends ever gave me were the checks for dinner," she said with a forced laugh. "So he's good to you, yeah?"

"Yeah," I said with an obviously fake and forced smile.

"He looks kind of big and strong, not someone you would want to piss of,"

"Yeah, that would probably be a bad idea, I would think,"

"He's never gotten mad at you before?"

"Probably,"

"You don't know if he has or not?"

"Look, if you're trying to imply that he looks like someone who would hurt me then you're way out of line there. He's never hurt me before and even if he did it really wouldn't be the business of a security guard at a _restaurant_," I shot back, angry.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you,"

"Yes you did, you want me to get mad so that I'll leave, and by the way, I can go home by myself, I don't need someone to take me,"

"I'm just trying to make conversation," she said. I made a laugh and took another sip of my water. "What's his name?"

I didn't answer her because the sound of her voice was slow and fading, and I hadn't heard all of the question. My vision became blurry and then it all turned black.


	8. The Dark Becomes Light Again

Disclaimer: Same stuff, I own nothing, I am poor, suing would be utterly pointless.

Sidenote: Again, more lyrics, back at the bottom this time. These are some of my favorite though, as it's my favorite song (which you could probably tell). Please enjoy!

"Holly, wake up, come on, you need to wake up,"

"Just ten more minutes Storm," I said, rolling over in bed. When had I gone to bed?

"Sweetie, you need to wake up," a woman, who was _not_ Storm, said. My eyes lifted half way open and I saw that I was in a white room that looked familiar. Was it the Professor's room? If it was, why was I there instead of my own? And who was that irritating woman who kept telling me to wake up? I slowly lifted my body from the bed to see a woman in a suit sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You're at home, we brought you home," she smiled at me.

I felt groggy and cranky and did_ not_ want to talk to anyone that cheerful. "What do you mean I'm at home, whose room am I in, why am I not in my own?"

"You are in your room," she said, still smiling.

My head was pounding and I was not feeling too great, but as I carefully looked around the room, I realized that it _was_ my room, my room in the White House. Why was I there, _how_ had I gotten there? I suddenly became very panicked. "Oh crap," I said, jumping off the bed, I was still in my dress.

"It's okay, you're safe now," she tried to calm me.

"Safe from what?" I asked, yelling.

"Safe from the people who took you away, you're going to be fine; everything's going to be okay."

I felt like there was a thick cloud of fog hovering over my brain, making everything hazy. "Where's my father? I want to talk to him!"

"He's overseeing the interrogation of the man they found with you,"

"What?"

"He's in one of the interrogation offices; I can call him and have him come up here, if you want?"

"No, I want you to take me to him," I demanded.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Alright then, follow me," she said. I quietly followed her out of my room and down to the wing underneath the actual house that had the interrogation offices in it. No one spoke a word to me as I passed, I knew I looked like crap and I was pissed off and panicked. She let me into a hallway where I had only been once or twice before while living there. She told one of the agents watching the door that I was there to see my father and he called it in on his earpiece, and then opened the door for me when they said it was clear for me to come in. I walked into the room, the tile floor cold against my bare feet. My father grabbed me and hugged my tightly.

"Oh I missed you, sweetheart; I knew we would get you back,"

"I missed you too, Daddy," I said, forgetting all about why I was there.

"We're going to get all of the people who did this to you,"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, pulling away from him.

"The people who took you away, we've already gone one and I'm sure he'll tell us who all was in on it, soon,"

I suddenly spotted the glass window and I wondered why it had taken me so long to see it. There, behind the glass, was Logan. He was sitting in a chair and his hands were handcuffed behind his back. There were two guards and one interrogator in the room with him. I couldn't hear what they were saying but he looked very upset. I ran to the window and placed my hand against the glass, reaching out to him. I knew he couldn't see me; it was just a mirror on the other side.

"What are they saying? I want to hear what they're saying!" I said frantically.

"Turn the sound on," my father told one of the agents in the room with us. He flipped a switch on a small control panel on the wall and the sound of the voices of the people from the next room came to life.

"How long has he been in there?" I asked.

"All night," my father answered.

"So where did you take her from?" the interrogator asked Logan.

"I told you; I didn't take her, I found her in a bar."

"So, so you see her in a bar, she's drunk and an easy target. So you over power her and take her with you to Westchester,"

"No, she wasn't drunk,"

"So she put up a fight then? Or did you tell her that it would be okay to ride with you?"

"Look, she was in the same bar as me, a guy who was drunk started a fight with her and slapped her. I stopped him and he tried fight with us both, the bartender told us to leave and I gave her a ride so she wouldn't be with the drunk guy,"

"How long ago was that?"

"Three months ago, I guess,"

"And what happened between you meet her and last night? That must have been one heck of a road trip?" Logan didn't say anything.

"I want to talk to him," I said.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Holly," the irritating woman who had led me down there said.

"Why _are_ you?" I asked.

"I'm Janet Marshall, I was appointed to look after you,"

"Well, I was talking to my father and I want to talk to _him_," I said, pointing to Logan through the glass.

"Honey, I don't know if that would be a smart move, they're trying to break him,"

"About what, he didn't do anything!"

"He kidnapped you,"

"No, I ran away, didn't you read my letter?"

"What letter?" he asked.

"I left you and mom a letter before I left telling you that I was leaving, didn't you get it?"

"No,"

"No one kidnapped me, I left and he has nothing to do with it,"

"Okay, you can talk to him then," my father agreed. He thought I was lying. He walked me to the next room and opened the door for me and I saw Logan immediately. "My daughter wants to talk to him,"

"I don't think that would be a good idea," the interrogator said.

"Just let her talk to him for a little bit, Jim, you aren't getting any where," my father said to him quietly. Jim glowered at me.

"Okay, fine,"

"I want to talk to him alone," I said.

"What, no," my father said.

"Fine, you stay, everyone else leaves, all of the agents, everyone. I don't want anyone watching in the booth or anything," I told them.

"Okay Jim, get your guys and get out," my dad said and then tapping on the mirror, "you hear that guys? Pack it up for a minute,"

Slowly everyone left and closed the door behind them.

"Logan," I started.

"They're still watching," he said, interrupting me.

"Can you make them leave?" I asked my dad, pointing to the double-sided mirror.

"They're gone now," Logan said after a second.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah,"

I took my time, trying to gather my thoughts. "Did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Did you turn me in?"

"No," he said, frustrated that I would think he did.

"Who did?"

"I don't know,"

"Are you sure about that?"

"If I had turned you in why would I be sitting in an interrogation room?"

"If you _didn't _do it then why are you _still_ sitting there?" I asked as a sudden thought popped into my mind. "You've had this planned since the beginning, haven't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That storm, it wasn't real, it was so I would go into that bar and meet you. The Professor sent you up there to get me, didn't he? He made that guy hit me so that you would save me and I would trust you,"

"Yeah, ole' Chuck has a real habit of making drunk guys smack people around," he retorted sarcastically.

"That meeting was staged, you knew that I would be listening in on it and you made the whole thing up. You and Scott even pretending to get in a fight to make it seem real…and that night you asked me to go out with you because you had planned to set me up, but I was getting suspicious so you told me that you….you were just pretending to like me so I would trust you. It's all about saving your own skin, right Logan?"

"No,"

"Yes, and Scott was trying to tell me and I was so wrapped up in you that I didn't get it,"

"What did he say to you?"

"I told him that you didn't want anything from me and he asked if I was completely sure,"

"Was that when you were making out with him in the laundry room or before then?"

"I wasn't making out with him, _he_ kissed _me_, and I made him stop,"

"Then why did you lie about it?"

"Well I figured that I had as much right to since you lied to me about kissing Jean,"

"I didn't like to you about that,"

"You didn't tell me about it,"

"Fine, we're even then,"

"I don't want to be even,"

"What do you want?"

I walked over to where he was sitting, moving my face right next to his, staring him in the eye. "Are you aware of the fact that you are sitting in an interrogation office in a wing of the White House being accused of kidnapping the President's daughter?"

He stared back at me, "Are you aware that I can't see you?" he asked.

I looked down at myself and saw that I was invisible. I looked over at my father who had a shocked look on his face. I had screwed up, big time.

"What did you do with her?" my father yelled at Logan.

"Nothing, I'm right here," I said.

"Where? I don't see you,"

"I know, I'm…invisible, it's a bit of a problem at the moment,"

"Just calm down, darlin'," Logan said to me.

"Don't you think I'm trying?" I yelled.

"No, I think you're yelling at me,"

I took a couple of deep breaths and saw myself coming back.

"What did he do to you?" my father asked.

"Nothing, I'm…I'm a mutant, that's why I ran away. I heard you talking about passing the registration law, I had to get out of here, and so I ran to Canada. I did meet Logan there and he was just taking care of me when he offered me a ride. I knew I could trust him, he took me to a house that I've stayed at these past few months, it was where I wouldn't get hurt and didn't have to worry about people knowing about my powers,"

"That mutant school is Westchester where Lt. Col. Stryker tried to detain students?"

"That's what he _told _you he was going to do. He took some of the students and tried to use a device that would kill all of the mutants, and then it was reversed and began attacking normal humans."

"I was part of the group of mutants that came to you in your office before you gave your speech on TV that day," Logan said.

"So…I don't understand, if you weren't kidnapped then how did I talk to you during the ransom calls?" my father asked.

"What ransom calls?"

"A person started making phone calls saying that they had you and they wouldn't give you back until we passed the Mutant Registration law. Whenever I asked to speak with you they would let me,"

"They could have recorded me talking on television or anything. Have you already passed the law?" I asked.

"No, we were going to tonight,"

"Please don't, please,"

"I was only going to do it to get you back,"

"Good,"

"Why did you never tell your mother or mo about you being a…mutant?"

"Because when I found out you were already a senator and I was just never able to tell you,"

"And you…you're a mutant, too?" he asked Logan.

"Yeah,"

"Dad you have to let him go, he didn't do anything wrong,"

"I'll do what I can, sweetheart,"

For the next two days, I didn't know what was going on with out situation, but my father had agreed to keep our secret safe. I barely left my room at all, worried about everything that was going on. They had tracked down the people who had faked my kidnapping and traced it back to a woman who had worked in the White House, doing the cleaning. She wan an Anti-Mutant activist who had stolen the letter from my room and faked ransom phone calls to my father using a taped record to make him think that he had been talking to me. They had told him that once the Mutant Registration law was passed they would hand me over to his agents.

I also found out that the woman who had come up to Logan and I when we had gone out to eat breakfast and told me that I looked like 'Holly' had turned me in. She overheard Logan telling me that we were going to an Italian restaurant and when she had phoned into the information center to report that she had seen me, they had sent out S.W.A.T. teams to every Italian restaurant in Westchester.

Why I hadn't remembered anything other than talking to the female agent was because she _had_ drugged my water. They had attempted to drug Logan but because of his rejuvenating powers, it didn't work, after they told him it would be easier on me if he just followed their orders, he agreed to go willingly, and once he knew that I was all right.

Something much bigger than I had anticipated had happened within those four days, making a change that I hoped would be for the best.

I heard a knock on my door and called out for them to come in. I assumed it was just another doctor, or agent or someone who wanted to make me go back through the details of what had happened to me, or examine me to make sure that there was nothing wrong with me. I didn't move, I just stood there staring out my window and watching the snowfall.

"Hey darlin'," I heard a deep voice growl from my door. I turned around to see Logan standing in my doorway. I ran to him and hugged him. He held me to him closely, wrapping his arms around me tightly. He buried his face into my hair and kissed me on top of my head.

"I didn't know what they were going to do to you, I was so scared," I said, holding him as closely as I could.

"It's alright, shh," he said to me as I began crying, nuzzling his nose against my neck. I raised my head and gently pressed my lips to his, kissing him. I ran my fingers through his hair and down the side of his face, keeping my hands on his cheeks.

"I can't go back with you," I said, pulling away from him. He continued to hold me to him with one of his hands.

"Why not?"

"I have to stay here,"

"You _have _to?"

"I promised my parents I would. If I go back then they'll want to send agents with me and they can't know about it,"

"I'll stay here with you, then,"

"You can't,"

"Why?" he asked, frustrated.

"Because that's you home, I'm not going to keep you from it,"

"You're not,"

"My parents don't want me to see you anymore," I said bluntly.

"Aren't you an adult, isn't that what you kept telling me?"

"Logan I'm sorry," I said, still crying. He wiped away my tears with his hand, his touch gentle. He gave me another kiss, and then he walked away.

I cursed myself for letting him go and decided that I couldn't lose him. I ran after him and stopped at the main staircase, he was heading for the door. "Logan," I called out. He turned around and looked at me, "I love you."

Everyone was watching us, but all I could see were Logan's eyes locked with mine. "You too, darlin'," he said, then left.

_And I don't want the world to see me  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am. _

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming  
Or the moment of truth in your lies  
When everything seems like the movies  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive.


	9. The Man In My Dreams

Disclaimer: All the guys at Marvel; you're my heros, I would appreciate it if you didn't sue...pretty please?

Sidenote: This is the last chapter, I'm slightly sad. Oh well, I hope ya'll have enjoyed it so far, it's been fun. There's more lyrics at the bottom to end the story out, I think they're quite appropriate. Please enjoy the rest of the story!

I went back to my room and locked myself in, crying myself to sleep. I was on close watch, though, and had someone in my room at all hours of the day and night checking in on me. It was like that for weeks, up until I felt ready to go back to college in Arizona. Everyone treated my differently there, thinking still that I had been kidnapped. I didn't want to be treated differently or special or in any way then I had been treated at Xavier's school. The longer I was gone, the more I missed it. I missed Rouge, the Professor, Storm, even Scott. And Logan, missing him wasn't even the way to describe how badly I wanted to see him. I tied writing him but I never sent the letters knowing that my hard, flat words would never be able to explain to him what he meant to me and how badly it killed me to lose him. My whole personality had changed and everyone noticed. I was once outgoing but I felt withdrawn, knowing that there was a place that I could fit in and college, as much as I loved my friends there, wasn't the place I was meant to be. I didn't feel at home anywhere and wondered if I ever would again.

I cried myself to sleep almost every night for my first month back. After a few more weeks I began to open back up again, but I wasn't the same person anymore, I had become someone else. I wasn't dependent on other people, I didn't care about petty things and my humor had sunk to a new low, becoming more sarcastic then ever. Even my style had changed drastically. I had bought myself a pair of cowboy boots and a leather jacket. Everyone wanted to know about my cross necklace but I never told them, it was something all too personal and complicated to explain to anyone who hadn't felt it for themselves. And my sleep, sleep didn't treat me so kindly, it didn't care that I was heartbroken. It didn't care that I just wanted to go to sleep and dream of the person that I missed for the rest of my life. No, sleep was the one thing that knew my secrets and wouldn't let me drown myself in it. Sleep deprived me of itself, causing me to think. To think of my life and how it had once been, I wondered if what I had done had actually helped the mutant situation. I wondered if I would ever be able to help anymore. I wondered if my parents would ever trust me again and if their miss-trust was worth all the mutants not having to worry for the current time. I wondered if Logan missed me or thought about me as much as I did him. Sleep danced around me, taunting me and making me wonder if Logan had just left me and fled to the arms of a string of nameless woman that he would, without doubt, pick up in random bars and diners. Would he fall in love with someone else, had he? He was the first man I ever loved and there was something about his unlike any other person I had ever met. No one had left an imprint on me as he had. No one had ever gotten inside my head as he had. He haunted me and the only safe place I could find to hide was in my dreams, where he would never leave me and would continue to love me for as long as I needed. Sleep knew that and wouldn't allow me to believe it. That's why I was surprised when I went to bed one early night in May and quickly drifted off to sleep, not waking the entire night. When I woke late the next morning, I found something lying on the pillow beside me. I reached over and picked it up, knowing what it was as soon as my hand grasped it, not having to look at it. I was startled by it and sat up in bed.

"Where did this come from?" I asked my roommate Julie, holding up the rosary that had been laid next to me while I was sleeping.

"Some weird guy said it was yours and asked me to give it to you,"

"How long ago?"

"Just a few seconds ago, he stopped me as I was coming inside,"

"Did he leave?"

"He started walking away after he handed it to me and I said that I would give it to you,"

I jumped from my bed and searched frantically, looking for a pair of shoes. I found a pair of flip-flops under by bed and quickly slipped them on and began heading out the door.

"Which way did he go?"

"Uh, the left, I guess, why?"

"I need to talk to him,"

"Do you even know him?" she asked, following me.

"Was he fairly tall, have weird hair, mutton chop sideburns and smell like cigars?"

"Yeah,"

"Then I know him,"

"How?"

"I can't explain it to you," I said, getting onto the elevator, as Carls and Burkley followed us.

"Can you explain why you have a rosary? You're not Catholic,"

"I know, it has a different meaning to it,"

"I didn't know they had different meanings?"

"They don't, I don't think,"

"Then what does it mean?"

"Well…we never vocally established what it meant, but its original purpose was to protect you,"

"From what?"

"I don't know, just in general,"

"Why is he giving it to you now? You have plenty of protection; I don't think anyone's too worried about that anymore,"

"It means something else now,"

"I thought you said you never established what it meant?"

"Vocally, but it does mean something else," I said as we stepped off the elevator and walked to the double doors. I pushed them open and walked out into the rain. Carls and Burkley quickly rushed to hold umbrellas over me. I started with a fast pace towards the left in an attempt to catch up with him. There was a corner of a building around two hundred yards away that had a sidewalk which wrapped around the building and lead to the general parking area that wasn't just for students. Soon my fast walk turned into a jog as I began to worry that he would leave before I could see him. Julie, Carls and Burkley all followed me as I turned into a full on run. I rounded the corner and saw a man crossing the street, headed to a parked motorcycle.

"Watch out," Carls said to me as I stepped off the curb and nearly slipped in a rain puddle. I straightened out my walk and continued to run in his direction.

"Logan!" I called out as I ran out from underneath the umbrellas, trying to stop him. He didn't turn around; I knew he had heard me, though. "Logan, please,"

He stopped and slowly turned to face me. I stopped a few feet from him, silently instructing everyone to stay behind me. He let out a long breath, staring at me. "What?" he growled.

"Don't growl at me, Logan, I want to know why you're here?"

He continued to stare at me, looking me over. I was still in my athletic pants and black wife beater that I had slept in, my hair was back to its natural blonde, and plastered to my face from the rain. "To give that back to you," he said, pointing to the rosary I still had tightly held in my fist.

"It's yours; I gave it to you,"

"I don't need it anymore,"

"You don't need me anymore/"

"That's not what I said,"

"It's what you meant,"

"No it's not,"

"Then why are you here?"

"I already lost Jean, alright; I didn't want to lose you,"

"You didn't lose me, you left me," I spat.

"You told me to,"

"No, what I said was that I couldn't go back with you and that my parents didn't want me to see you anymore,"

"Which meant I had to leave,"

"No, we should have figured out a way for us to still be together. Running should not have been your first action,"

"And who are you to talk about that?" he retorted.

"Shut up, that has nothing to do with this," I said.

"Yes it does," he said, walking closer to me. "It's your first instinct, too. Runaway when you get scared, that's why you're all the way down here instead of up there with me,"

"No, I'm down here because I'm trying to move on with my life after you just_ left_ me. Do you understand what that did to me, what _you_ do to me? I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't study, I can't even watch the freakin' news because everything reminds me of you and that I just start crying, and no one understands why. I don't care if I _did_ run away from New York or D.C.; I haven't run away from you because I can't. I am so far gone it's pathetic. You said you didn't want to lose me, but how come it's taken you this long to come down here? Why did you just hand over our rosary to my roommate and start leaving? You didn't seem too eager to talk to me, so why did you really come here, Logan? Or was it that you just lost your nerve and _you_ decided to run?"

"I didn't think that you would want to see me,"

"But you didn't give me the chance to tell you whether or not I did, you just assumed I wouldn't?"

"I didn't want to see you if you were mad at me,"

"I _am_ mad at you, I'm pissed. I've wanted to see you since January and when I get the chance, you try to stop it from happening. But you should have thought of what I wanted before you did anything,"

"I did, why do you think I drove all the way down here from New York? I thought you would want that back,"

"But why are you giving it back to me? I gave it to you,"

"Why did you give it to me, Jewel?"

"Because I didn't know how to pay you back for what you had given me,"

"Then you should know why I gave it back to you. I don't deserve it anymore, you do,"

"I didn't say that you were supposed to give it back to me if you thought that you had failed to be held up to my standards. I don't expect you to be perfect, I know you're not, that's why I love you. If I wanted someone who was telling me that they were perfect that I could have gone out with so many other guys, but I don't want that. That's not what makes me happy, you do, but you being gone has killed me and to that you respond by giving me this back," I said, holding up the rosary, "with no reason why and then try to leave. If you don't want this anymore then fine, at some point I'll get over it, I guess. But I want you to tell it to me. I want to hear you tell me, in your words, what you want from this,"

He stared at me for a moment and then strode up to me, standing only inches away from me. I could feel his hot breath against my skin as he stood there, trying to think of what to say. Finally, in a hushed voice so that only I could hear him he said, "I want you and whatever it takes for you to forgive me for hurting you. Darlin', I didn't want to leave you, I wasn't running because I didn't want to be with you. I left because it would be easier for you if I made the choice instead of making you pick them or me. I can't give you a life that they day, I won't ever be able to. I live in a school, I teach kids, I ain't got a lot of money, when I thought about you livin' like that because you didn't want to be without me, I made the decision that you weren't going to,"

"Then you're a jerk for not giving me a chance to think about it. What if I don't care about money and stupid things, Logan? They're just _things_, I would much rather be living with you at the school than to be here thinking that you don't love me while driving around in some expensive car that I don't even know the name of. Why don't you get that?"

"Because I know that I do love you and that's not the kind of life I want you to have,"

"But it's not your choice, it's mine. I'm an adult; remember? I thought we had established this rather quite a while back. If you get to make choices for me then I get to make them for you,"

"Like what?"

"You have to take me with you if you leave,"

"I can't, what about your parents?"

"What about them?"

"I thought they wouldn't let you go without them?" he said, jerking his head towards Carls and Burkley.

"I'll talk to them; we'll make a compromise, which is what we should have done to begin with,"

"I can't give you what they can," he said again.

"If that's what I wanted out of life, what my parents could give me, then why was I so happy with you back at the school? All I need, all I've ever wanted, was for some to love me like you did. Didn't you tell me once that all you needed from me was to love you? Why can I ask the same of you, that's all I want from you? Nothing more, nothing less," I said, the rain falling at a hard a heavy pace.

"But you deserve everything that they give you; I want you to have all of it,"

"I've had it for twenty-three years and I know that those four months that I spent there with you was the best time of my life. It was so much simpler than it had ever been. Knowing that you think I deserve all of it, _that's_ all I need,"

"Alright then, if that's what you want, it's your choice,"

"You promise?"

"Yeah, I promise, I swear,"

A small smile crept across my face from corner to corner. "You shouldn't swear," I said with a laugh.

He gave a little smile and shook his head. I had missed his smile so much. "No, it's just you that can't swear, kid,"

"So now you're back to calling me kid again?"

"Well considering that I'm not really sure what to call you, I figured it was as good as any other name,"

"Logan, why don't you just shut up and kiss me?" I asked playfully.

He smiled down at me with the rain dripping off the end of his nose. "As soon as we're not being watched anymore," he said.

I looked over my shoulder and saw that Julie was standing underneath the umbrellas with Carls and Burkley. "Can we have some privacy?" I smirked over my shoulder at them.

"We're not supposed to leave you," Burkley called out to me.

"Everything's going to be okay, I won't go anywhere," I said back.

"Alright, but we're just going over behind that corner. If you go anywhere we'll find you," Carls said.

"I won't go anywhere," I reassured them.

Slowly the three of them walked, huddled together under their umbrellas, to the corner where we had just come from only minutes before. I watched as the moved until they were out of sight, then I turned back to Logan who then pulled me to him, surprising me by the force of his kiss. I could feel that he had missed me, missed kissing me, missed holding me and I had felt the same way. I had longed to feel his lips to mine and was so happy just to be in his arms. I didn't care that it was raining; it felt good on my hot skin. I was happy to be there with the man that I loved, knowing that he loved me and that he would always be there to catch me if I needed him to. After a few moments I pulled away and then asked; "Why took you so long? I miss you so much,"

He nuzzled his nose to mine. "I'm sorry; I missed you, too,"

"Just don't leave me anymore," I said, and then whispered into his ear; "I need you Logan, I hope you know that,"

"I do and I won't leave you again, I promise," he said back to me.

"My sweet Wolverine, I love you,"

"I love you too, Holly,"

_Grew up in a small town  
And when the rain would fall down  
I'd just stare out my window  
Dreaming of what could be  
And if I'd end up happy  
I would pray (I would pray). _

Trying hard to reach out  
But when I tried to speak out  
Felt like no one could hear me  
Wanted to belong here  
But something felt so wrong here  
So I prayed I could break away.

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly  
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky  
I'll make a wish  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway.  
Out of the darkness and into the sun  
But I won't forget all the ones that I love  
I'll take a risk  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway.

Wanna feel the warm breeze  
Sleep under a palm tree  
Feel the rush of the ocean  
Get onboard a fast train  
Travel on a jet plane, far away (I will)  
And breakaway.

Buildings with a hundred floors  
Swinging around revolving doors  
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but  
Gotta keep moving on, moving on  
Fly away, breakaway.

I'll spread my wings  
And I'll learn how to fly  
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye  
I gotta take a risk  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway.  
Out of the darkness and into the sun  
But I won't forget the place I come from  
I gotta take a risk  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway, breakaway, breakaway.

The End


End file.
